When most people were busy watching the India-Pakistan match in the cosy comfort of their homes, residents of Matunga stepped out of that comfort zone and took the trouble of organising a special screening for cancer patients.

Residents of Jasoda Co-operative Housing Society organised the screening for patients aged between nine and 60 undergoing treatment at TATA Memorial Centre. Around 50 patients diagnosed with blood cancer were ferried from the Parel facility to participate in the screening at the society.


Residents of Jasoda Co-operative Housing Society, Matunga organised the screening for Cancer patients undergoing treatment at TATA Memorial Centre

People climbed down from their towering homes to watch the match with the patients. They also served homemade snacks and food to the patients during the match.

"It was the youth who took the initiative to organise this event for cancer patients in collaboration with Tarun Mitra Mandal (Chinchpokli)," said one of the organisers.

Nine-year-old leukaemia patients, Babloo Masure, said, "I love cricket and my favourite player is MS Dhoni. But I don't watch cricket. Instead, I love to play the game.

I want to buy a bat, but I have to wait for three years before I could buy one. Doctors have told me that I will be fit to play the game in three years."

Another leukaemia patient Hasim Khan (14) said, "Cheering for Men in Blue with a roaring crowd made me feel as if I were at the stadium. What is more precious for us is the warmth with which people greeted us and took the trouble of preparing food us."

Bharat Gada, secretary of Jasoda Co-op Housing Society, said "We always enjoy and go out with our friends or family, but the children suffering from cancer do not get a chance to do so. So we are just trying to make them happy." He added that they would also screen IPL and football World Cup matches in the future.