Introduction (Post #1)

Hi!

My name is Ria, and I am the founder of the Spiramen Organization. This is my blog! Throughout my posts, I’ll be discussing various cancer-related topics and sharing my experience running my own NGO. 

Before I get into today’s topic, though, I’m going to tell you more about myself. I’m currently a junior in high school (Grade 11) doing the IBDP. Some of my hobbies are reading (one of my favorites is Pride and Prejudice), listening to music, and playing the violin. I’m currently watching The Rookie on Netflix, and CHENFORD!

So, now that you know a little bit about me, let’s dive into today’s topic! Since this is my first post, I’ll keep it simple and tell you more about the organization and how this blog will be connected to it. 

To give you an introduction, Spiramen Foundation’s mission is to increase early diagnosis of both mouth and throat cancer in underprivileged areas, as well as to spread awareness about their causes and prevention methods. 

When I first began brainstorming ideas, I wanted to focus on the most prevalent cancers in our community. After researching, I found out that oral cancer is extremely common where I live, in India. In fact, India has the highest oral cancer rates globally! Since throat cancer is also quite widespread and is tied to the same causes as oral cancer (smoking, vaping, and chewing tobacco), I decided to expand Spiramen’s focus to 2 types of cancer. 

For early diagnosis, the Spiramen Team will conduct basic screenings in underprivileged areas. These screenings will include both a basic health screening as well as a cancer-specific part. The general screening will check patients’ blood sugar level, blood pressure, temperature, and more. For the cancer-specific part, palpation and a visual oral exam will be conducted. If any suspicious lesions are identified with the help of a doctor, the patient will be advised to go to a nearby clinic for further testing. Additional attention will be provided for those with a long history of smoking/vaping/chewing tobacco, as well as those with a family history. 

As Spiramen grows, I hope to be able to finance further testing for these patients, as well as some parts of their treatment. I also want to be able to provide psychological support for patients who have tested positive, as cancer can be a big shock for the patient and their loved ones. For people with a long history of smoking/chewing tobacco/vaping, we will recommend that they undergo more testing. 

In this blog, I will share my experiences as I run the NGO, my personal story with cancer, how to handle the chaos it causes, and maybe some scientific discoveries/developments related to cancer. 

Well, that’s it for my first post. I will be posting one entry every week, so make sure to follow along! Thank you!