The Safe Haven Cancer Support Centre on Saturday, October 24, launched its new office which will aid in providing support to cancer patients.

The annual Hats for Health educational and fundraising event for cancer awareness and support was also held the same day.

The Safe Haven Cancer Support Centre and Safe Haven Cancer Society are organizations that were started after the co-founder Janet Brakohiapa went through the cancer treatments which saved her life.

After suffering from breast cancer in 2012 and undergoing extensive treatment in Canada, Janet Brakohiapa realised that having access to a Patient Support Centre was key to her recovery as it was a forum made up of people diagnosed with cancer and those who had survived it, coming together with a common purpose to create awareness and educate people about how early detection can save and lengthen the lives of people diagnosed with cancer.

It also helps survivors share experiences and offer encouragement to patients, instil in patients that life goes on after a cancer diagnosis and offer encouragement, information and emotional support to families and friends

Based on the experience Ms Brakohiapa had during and after her treatment, she developed a passion to have a similar service and forum in Ghana as she realised that more often than not, going through cancer diagnosis and treatment in Ghana can be a lonely and devastating experience with very little support.

This culminated in the setting up of the non-profit organization Safe Haven Cancer Support Centre. Until now the services of Safe Haven Cancer Support Centre have been provided via telephone and other electronic means. Client meetings were conducted at their homes or places convenient to them.

Safe Haven Cancer Support Centre has, however, now acquired a physical space which was opened on October 24, 2020.

A release by Safe Haven Cancer Support Centre stated that he centre is much needed as personal interaction helps in removing feelings of isolation and loneliness that come with the disease. It will be a central meeting point to provide emotional support to cancer patients and their families.

The centre will provide wellness programs, educational programs, presentations and seminars. It will provide caregiver support, grief support and programs for the families and friends of the individuals who have been affected by the disease.

The Centre will also provide limited resources for breast cancer patients in the form of mastectomy brassieres to clients who need them and cannot afford to buy them.

The release added that “our organization does not receive any public funds and relies on donations from generous individuals to operate. The support from individuals who see the importance of our mandate has been invaluable to date and has kept us providing services to some of the most vulnerable in our society.

“We cannot meet our goals without the help of people and companies like yours, which is why we are writing to you today.

“Our annual budget to run the Centre which includes rent, programs and salary of one part-time employee is an estimated GH¢50, 000 a year. We hope that we can count on your generosity to enable us to meet this target this year.”