Saudi Gazette The charitable Saudi Cancer Society (SCS) in Madina has recently completed the production of an intriguing film called “Journey of Hope” with the help of the Ministry of Health. The film is the first of its kind produced in the Kingdom and it aims to ease the suffering of cancer patients, instill hope of recovery during the long, physically and emotionally exhausting therapies, and to ward off despair. This film also sheds light on the different treatment methods available and tells heroic stories of several cancer survivors who battled the disease, overcame their fears because they refused to give up; and now they live an active, healthy life. Journey of Hope depicts the power of a mind which helps patients maintain a positive attitude during this difficult time, and this attitude helps in producing positive results during the treatment. Watching the film strengthens the patient's determination to go on and helps him/her cope with the side-effects of treatment and dealing with some of the emotional turmoil and confusion. It reminds cancer patients to remain patient, steadfast, hopeful, and optimistic because these qualities usually elude both men and women when they first hear their diagnosis. In order for the film to achieve its goal, which is alleviating the psychological pain that cancer patients often endure, the SCS plans to distribute copies of the film to every cancer patient in all the hospitals and cancer treatment centers in the Kingdom and abroad to other Arab countries. “While making this film, we tried very hard to involve well-known names, oncologists, and authorities to give cancer patients a ray of hope.The basic idea behind the film is that there is always hope, so the title of the film was unanimously agreed upon. Journey of Hope will be the cancer patient's partner on the road to recovery,” said Ahmad Hammad, director of the Madinah branch of the SCS. “In light of the remarkable advances that the medical community has reached in the treatment of cancer and the extensive research conducted, the treatment and cure of the disease in most cases has become only a matter of time. The treatment and recovery process is long, but today the chances of a full recovery and survival are very high. What is essential is that the patient remains hopeful, strictly adheres to the oncologist's treatment plan, and receives rigorous follow-up care,” said Dr. Walid Fitaihi, CEO of the International Medical Center in Jeddah. __
