This is how the story goes: I was diagnosed with a brain tumor in March 2014 when I was fourteen years old and had to undergo surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. For a year, not only myself but also my family were held captive by my illness. You can imagine the fear and the heartache that my family went through. Fortunately, my parents had the resources to access the treatment and support tha
t I needed. There are so many children in this country who are going through what I went through - cancer. However, there is one big difference; they do not have the resources to support them. These people need our help. An organization that is trying to provide halfway houses is YKAKI (Yayasan Kasih Anak Kanker Indonesia), a foundation established in November 2006, by the mother of a child with cancer, to provide support to the families of children fighting cancer. Their mission has been to provide accommodation, education, transportation, and emotional support for children battling cancer. They have done this through their halfway houses named ‘Rumah Kita’. I am in the process of developing an event proposal for a fundraising event called ‘Music Beats Cancer’. ‘Music Beats Cancer’ will be a two-hour long charitable musical event where a number of talented artists donate their time to perform. Additionally, there will be a special musical performance by the truly brave children of YKAKI. The concert will be held on March 20th, 2016 in the Yamaha Center, Gatot Subroto from 4PM-6PM. I believe music plays a great deal of contribution in the healing process. Let's lend a helping hand to these children, from the ground up.
- Nate Kristanto
