The story of the establishment of Ehsan

dication was scarce and very expensive. Not having enough information about cancer and the side effects of the drugs while witnessing her daughter's suffering, life had become barely tolerable for Ms. Saideh Ghods.

While referring to hospitals, Ms. Ghods saw fathers and mothers travelling from far and often disadvantaged regions struggling with financial difficulties of paying for expensive treatment of their child and a place to stay in Tehran for the duration. Sleeping in hospital yards or in  street corners, many had become aware that cancer is a disease that may require more than a single treatment. In actuality, it may take years of overwhelming pressures, an experience during which many families did not survive as a unit.

She became intensely preoccupied with the idea of offering a little help by providing a place to stay for the families. She was constantly thinking of what could be done? At that time some of the tests were not performed in Iran, so she decided to continue her daughter's treatment in Germany.There she became exposed to and joined parents groups whose children had cancer. Experiencing therapeutic relief as a result, she realized it would be a good idea to form such an organization in Iran. At the time, this was not feasible however. Being a multi-ethnic nation many of whom associated cultural taboos with known cancer cases, Iranian parents were not ready for this approach. Consequently, she decided to place her initial focus on helping cancer-stricken children directly and parents indirectly.

The story of the establishment of Ehsan

• On a cold winter day in 1989, a two-year old girl named Kiana was having her regular check–up when her physician diagnosed her with an illness that would shake up any mother. Like any mother hearing this, her mother Ms. Saideh Ghods went into a denial state, not accepting the truth. After many trepidations, doing a lot of research, and having many consultations with doctors and friends, she realized that cancer like many other diseases is curable and has its own phases of treatment.