On a quiet street behind Sri Lanka’s national cancer hospital, something extraordinary has been unfolding.
Two years ago, a new kind of space was born — not a ward, not a waiting room, but a place where families could be together. Where brothers and sisters could spend weekends in each other’s arms. Where parents could sit side by side, not on plastic stools beside hospital beds, but on real beds, under real roofs, with time to breathe.
This is Suwa Arana – A Place for Healing. And this month, it turns two.
More than a building, Suwa Arana is Sri Lanka’s first paediatric palliative care centre. A home-away-from-hospital where children with cancer and their families receive not just a bed, but belonging. Not just medicine, but meaning. Not just survival, but dignity.
Two years of Suwa Arana is two years of life being restored — not in big gestures, but in the quiet miracle of being together. Families who once travelled for hours to reach treatment now have a room to return to. Siblings once kept apart by wards now laugh and play in the same space. Parents who once cried alone now stay together, talk together, grieve and heal — together.
The heart of Suwa Arana beats not just in the care it offers, but in the people who make it real. The committed staff — nurses, coordinators, support workers — don’t simply perform tasks. They listen. They remember birthdays. They hold hands. They stay after hours. To them, this is more than work. It is a calling.
And then there are the volunteers. More than a thousand strong, they bring colour to this space. Some read stories, others cook meals. Some play music. Some simply sit, and make sure no one feels alone. Many were once caregivers themselves. Some were even patients. They return to give back — not because they have to, but because they know exactly what it means to be seen.
Behind this sanctuary is Indira Cancer Trust (ICT) — a movement born from one family’s heartbreak and now sustained by a nation’s compassion.
In 2016, Indira Jayasuriya, a mother of two, lost her life to breast cancer. Her journey was marked by courage, grace, and a profound love for her family. Her father, Hon. Karu Jayasuriya, chose to turn that personal grief into public purpose. From the pain of losing his daughter was born a mission: that no family should face cancer alone, and that care must be wrapped in humanity.
What began as a tribute to Indira’s life has now grown into a national platform that touches lives across Sri Lanka. ICT is not just an organisation — it’s a community. It extends its arms far beyond Suwa Arana.
ICT operates a cancer helpline. It offers wigs to women rediscovering their identity after chemo. It provides breast prostheses, nutrition packs, transport to hospitals, medicines, investigation support, funeral support, and counselling services. It grants wishes that bring light into the lives of children with critical illnesses — whether it’s meeting their favourite cricketer, actor, or singer, visiting somewhere special, or receiving something they’ve always dreamed of having. These wishes aren’t just moments of joy — they are powerful reminders to children and their families that even in the midst of illness, life can still be special: All with one unshakable principle: that healing doesn’t belong to medicine alone. It belongs to connection.
So as Suwa Arana turns two, this is not just a milestone. It’s a moment to look at everything ICT has grown into. A network of love. A culture of care. A shift in how Sri Lanka speaks about cancer, treats patients, supports caregivers, and builds resilience.
Two years ago, Suwa Arana opened its doors. Today, ICT is opening minds — and changing lives — every single day.
To support, volunteer, or learn more:
www.indiracancertrust.org
Helpline: + 94 112363211
#SuwaAranaTurnsTwo | #IndiraCancerTrust | #HealingWithHeart
