Number of Cases, Deaths, and Survivors:
Worldwide in 2012 (the latest year for which information is available) —
- 14.1 million new cancer cases were diagnosed.
- 8.2 million people died from cancer.
- 32.6 million people were five-year cancer survivors (people who are alive five years after being diagnosed with cancer).
By 2025, 19.3 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed each year.
In less developed regions in 2012—
- 8 million new cancer cases were diagnosed (57% of the global total).
- 5.3 million people died from cancer (65% of the global total).
- 15.6 million people were five-year cancer survivors (48% of the global total).
Its malignant are two jarring words you wish you never had to hear. You and I, we all know or have heard of someone who has fought, or are fighting, have overcome or succumbed to cancer. So what can you, as an individual or a person do to help the millions fighting this battle? In the face of it, every single one of us are helpless, but there is something all of us can be a part of.
TrailSL is a walk which began in 2011 to raise funds to help the Cancer Hospital in Jaffna.
The co-founders of the Trail initiative Sarinda Unamboowe and Nathan Sivagananathan decided to unite the country in a fight against cancer by walking 670km, the length of Sri Lanka, to raise awareness and funding for a much needed cancer facility in Jaffna back in 2011. The walk in 2011 Dondra Head to Point Pedro spanned 27 days and saw over 30,000 participants and 250,000 supporters together raise over USD 2.6 Million. Their dream was realized when the Tellippalai Trail Cancer Hospital was opened in January 2014 and the facility succeeded at treating over 4,500 patients since its establishment.
The official walk starts on October 6th and the 28 day walk starts at Point Pedro in Jaffna and ends at Dondra Head in Matara.
A typical day on the Trail will begin with registration between 4.30 am and 4.45 am followed by a quick warm up. TrailSL will have a limited quantity of breakfast snacks for the early birds. The walk will typically begin at 5 AM and finish by 10 AM to beat the midday heat.
You can find details on start and end locations in the Route Map and details on Accommodation
Each fundraiser, donor and sponsor, along with the doctors and experts of the hospital, and the Government of Sri Lanka (who will match funds raised) will help see this dream fulfilled.
Join us this October as we walk to collectively fight our nation’s battle against cancer. Participants can choose to walk the whole journey of 28 days, or elect to join us at any point on the route when they register. In addition, participants can join us along the route at no cost to show support for Trail. For details on our route map, or to register and donate, please visit trailsl.com.
If you do not wish to walk, here are a couple of other ways you can get involved in the cause.
Contribute towards a walker's cause
Make the hospital construction a reality
Buy merchandise so that funding goes towards the hospital:
To donate online directly to TrailSl
To take part, register yourself here
(All information and photographs have been taken from TrailSL's website)
