Whitathon - 1 Edition

The Fourth Edition of the WHITATHON RUN will be organized on 8th May 2022, Sunday, at People’s Plaza, Necklace Road, Hyderabad. The run will start at 5:30 am.

Whitathon Run is L V Prasad Eye Institute’s annual cause-related event focusing on raising awareness and funds for early diagnosis and treatment of Retinoblastoma – a Life and Vision-threatening Eye Cancer in Children. One of the most common symptoms of Retinoblastoma is White Reflex (white glow) in a child’s eye. Through this run we want to raise awareness among the public that if they spot a ‘White Reflex’ in a child’s eye, it could be a sign of eye cancer that needs immediate medical intervention. The funds raised through this run, help us in providing free treatment to children from underprivileged families who have retinoblastoma.

Like every year, this year too Hyderabad Runners is supporting this run. The first edition of the run was organized in 2018 with 2000+ runners, the second edition in 2019 had 2500+ runners, and the third edition (virtual run) in 2021 had 350+ runners. With the funds raised, we were able to provide free treatment to retinoblastoma children coming from an underprivileged background. This treatment is very expensive and happens over a longer duration. Additionally, the funds raised also help us in conducting research on new treatment options for this alarming disease.

Why there is a need to raise awareness:

• Retinoblastoma (eye cancer) most commonly affects children below 3 years of age (90%)
• 20 to 25% of cases of eye cancer worldwide in children are from India, and 50% of cases worldwide lose their lives due to late detection and inadequate treatment
• Retinoblastoma is curable if the tumour is detected and treated early; thus saving the life, eye, and vision of the child
• Over the past decade, LVPEI has treated more than 2000 patients with retinoblastoma eye cancer
• Though it was possible to save the life of the child in 90% of the cases, the eyesight of the child could be saved in only 45% of the cases, the reason being late presentation of the case
• Hence, it is important to raise awareness about the common symptoms of retinoblastoma in children and educate the public (specially young parents) on the importance of seeking timely medical care

Why there is a need to raise funds:

• Retinoblastoma treatment plan is expensive and long in duration
• Over 60 to 65% of these patients cannot afford the expense of the treatment
• Thanks to the funds received from such cause-related events and donations, LVPEI is able to provide free treatment to children from underprivileged families

About L V Prasad Eye Institute: Established in 1987, L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Blindness, is a comprehensive eye health facility. Read more: https://www.lvpei.org/about-us

Participate with your family and friends and make this a special experience not only for yourself but also for the many young retinoblastoma children who will benefit from it. Our collective efforts will ensure a better childhood for our young retinoblastoma patients and their families.

We look forward to having you on board as a Whitathon runner!

Participants must bring COVID Vaccination Certificate for both the doses or an RTPCR Negative Report, at the time of collecting the bib and on the day of event.