Every September, the world turns gold to raise awareness for childhood cancer. But for Dr. (Mrs.) Nneka Nwobbi, founder of the Children Living with Cancer Foundation (CLWCF), one month is not enough.
For over 15 years, she has been a relentless advocate for children battling cancer in Nigeria, pushing for a healthcare system where no family carries the burden alone.
At the 2025 Childhood Cancer Walkathon in Lagos, themed “No Child Should Fight Cancer Alone!”, survivors, families, medical experts and advocates marched from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) to the National Stadium. The event featured music, dance, and the release of gold balloons, a symbol of hope for young fighters.
Among the participants was 15-year-old Chioma Faith Agu, a cancer survivor whose inspiring journey served as a beacon of hope to other families.
Dr. Nwobbi used the event to make a passionate appeal to government, highlighting the crushing financial toll of treatment on families. She cited the case of a father who spent ₦25 million on his child’s treatment within one year.
“Childhood cancer treatment is expensive, and no family should have to choose between saving their child and financial ruin,” she said. “If the government cannot make treatment free, it should at least subsidise costs. Without intervention, many children are denied a chance to survive.”
She lamented that while national cancer budgets exist, they disproportionately favour adult cancers. “We cannot continue to neglect children. They are our future and deserve priority in healthcare budgets,” she stated.
Esther, now in SS3, was only six when she began her battle with kidney cancer. Her story is one of pain, perseverance, and ultimate triumph.
“My journey was so stressful and painful, injections, trips, surgeries, operations… Sometimes, when I saw other children passing away in the ward, I wondered if I was next,” she recalled.
With her father by her side daily and the intervention of CLWCF, which helped pay her medical bills, Esther survived. Today, she dances, sews, and plays with friends again. “The journey was not sweet, but today I can say thank God, I am a survivor,” she said, her smile lighting up the walkathon.
Dr. Nwobbi also stressed the role of nutrition in cancer prevention, urging families to return to traditional Nigerian diets rich in vegetables, grains, and fresh produce.
“You are what you eat. If you eat rubbish, your body is rubbish,” she cautioned.
She encouraged cultivating home gardens and adopting a “rainbow diet”, eating foods of different colours daily alongside exposure to sunlight, regular exercise, and emotional well-being.
Late diagnosis remains one of Nigeria’s biggest barriers to survival. Dr. Nwobbi urged parents to observe their children closely and seek medical attention for unusual symptoms such as persistent fever, lumps, or unexplained tiredness.
She recounted a case where a tailor discovered a lump in a child’s abdomen during a fitting before the parents noticed anything. She also advised parents to continue regular clinic visits even after the vaccination years to aid early detection.
Beyond medical care, CLWCF provides psychosocial support through counselling, art therapy, and monthly healing sessions.
She shared the story of Dara, a survivor who had her leg amputated due to osteosarcoma at 13, and later encouraged another patient facing the same surgery.
“These peer connections are powerful. They give hope where medical facts alone cannot,” Dr. Nwobbi said.
While Nigeria has made strides, particularly in Lagos, Dr. Nwobbi noted the late establishment of a Childhood Cancer Registry in 2023, decades after adult registries.
“We can no longer depend on American statistics; our realities are different,” she said, calling on private companies and development partners to support the registry.
For families currently in the fight, Dr. Nwobbi’s message is clear:
“Childhood cancer should not be a death sentence. Early detection gives better chances of cure. Support your child, seek help, and don’t give up.”
Chioma’s survival is living proof that with timely care and support, children can return to school, laugh again, and dream of the future.
“No child should fight cancer alone, not in the hospital, not at home, and not in policy decisions,” Dr. Nwobbi declared, as gold balloons floated over the Lagos sky, each a reminder that every child deserves a fighting chance.
