Sri Ramakrishna Hospital, Coimbatore, run by the SNR Sons Charitable Trust, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Coimbatore Meridian, launched 'Project Blossom', a signature project aimed at supporting patients suffering from bone sarcomas. The project is being carried out in association with Attitude Charitable Trust and Cordon Bleu Properties.

The official launch of the project took place at Sri Ramakrishna Hospital on Thursday. R. Sundar, Managing Trustee of SNR Sons Charitable Trust, launched the project in the presence of Dr. P. Guhan, Director of Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Oncology and Research (SRIOR); Dr. Rajagopal, Medical Director, Dr.S.Alagappan, Medical Superintendent, Sri Ramakrishna Hospital; C.V.Ramkumar, CEO; D.Mahesh Kumar, Chief Administrative Officer, SNR Sons Charitable Trust; Dr. Bhargavi, Surgical Oncologist, SRIOR; and members of the Rotary Club.

Welcoming the gathering, Dr. P. Guhan explained that bone sarcoma is a type of cancer that originates in bone tissue. It mostly occurs in growing children, adolescents and young adults. In the 1950s, amputation was the only viable treatment - particularly for osteo sarcoma which is considered the most common form of bone sarcoma. However, such procedures, though life-saving, can severely impact a young patient’s quality of life.

Today, a far more advanced treatment known as Limb Salvage Surgery is done to remove the affected part of the bone and it is followed by an endoprosthesis procedure - where the affected bone is replaced with a custom metallic implant. This combined treatment offers a new hope.

SRIOR became the first cancer institute in Western Tamil Nadu to successfully perform this complex procedure in 2008. Recognising that the cost of this treatment is often out of reach for patients from economically weaker backgrounds, Sri Ramakrishna Hospital and the Rotary Club of Coimbatore Meridian have come together to fund such surgeries under Project Blossom. The cost of the procedure, medications, and recovery will be jointly covered by the hospital and its partners.

Even before the formal launch of the initiative, five successful Limb Salvage Surgeries with endoprosthetic reconstruction have already been completed through this collaboration. Dr. Guhan expressed hope that Project Blossom would benefit many more patients in the future, especially adolescents and young adults, helping them live fuller, healthier lives despite a bone cancer diagnosis.

R.Sundar, Managing Trustee of SNR Sons Charitable Trust in his presidential address said that launching this project 'Blossom' is a significant moment for Sri Ramakrishna Hospital.

He said that SNR Sons Charitable Trust is immensely happy to partner with Rotary once again to launch a project that could help the underprivileged people. Persons affected by Bone Sarcoma who could not afford the treatment cost, don't get it and lose their legs to the disease eventually. This project Blossom is a humble step to support those who couldn't afford it. 

"Partnering with Rotary has been very supportive in launching several life-changing projects in the past. Blossom is a crucial project and it will be as successful as the previous joint-projects we have launched with Rotary, or perhaps even greater than them. We will certainly take this project forward," R.Sundar said.