A Patient Support Group Meeting was held on 15 November 2025 at Tata Medical Centre, Rajarhat, Kolkata, with approximately 150 patients and caregivers in attendance.
After the meeting Neel Kankani, was interviewed to share his reflections and insights.
Neel Kankani has been associated with Friends of Max since 2000 and played a key role in establishing the Kolkata City Chapter. A busy and successful entrepreneur, Neel is always happy to take the time out and leads all volunteer efforts be it helping organising patient group meetings or Chai for Cancer Addas.
1. How do these gatherings impact individuals, and what emotions surface when connecting with the FOM Community?
These gatherings serve as a vital lifeline, moving beyond the clinical aspects of treatment to foster holistic well-being. For patients and caregivers, the impact is profound and touches several emotional domains:
Sense of Normalcy and Hope: Seeing hundreds of others living full lives while managing their condition instils a powerful sense of normalcy and hope. The initial fear and isolation often associated with a CML or GIST diagnosis begins to dissipate when individuals realize they are part of the largest patient support group of its kind in the world.
Validation and Shared Experience: The motto, “Together We Share and Learn,” encapsulates the core emotional exchange. The meetings provide a safe and secure platform where patients can share thoughts and ask questions without hesitation. This act of sharing validates their daily struggles and reduces the psychological stress on families from weaker socio-economic backgrounds.
Empowerment: Access to disease information and the best oncologists empowers patients to make informed decisions about their treatment and adhere to protocols. The activities, such as the Drama Workshop we saw in Kolkata, empower them to practically solve real-life challenges like navigating travel or medicine collection issues.
2. Now it has been 20 years since we have been doing Patient Support Group Meetings, how do you think the meetings have evolved, what are the new changes in the discussions and workshops that you are seeing?
Over two decades, the meetings have dramatically evolved from simple informational sessions into dynamic, interactive and comprehensive wellness workshops:
Shift from Information to Engagement: Earlier meetings would primarily focus on providing medical updates and access to literature and monitoring tests. The format was often one-sided. Today, the focus is heavily on engagement and participation. The Kolkata meeting is a perfect example, with a large portion dedicated to the drama role plays led by Prasad Kothekar (Program Coordinator, The Max Foundation) which made the learning experiential and fun.
Focus on Psycho-Social Aspects: Discussions have broadened significantly. We are now seeing workshops dedicated to crucial psycho-social skills, like the session on speaking and communication presented by Priyanka Kandalgaokar, Regional Program Manager, The Max Foundation, in Kolkata. This reflects the understanding that living a “fuller life” requires emotional and social strength, not just medical adherence.
Enhanced Volunteer Leadership: The growth from the Max Foundation team leading everything to having 340 City Chapter Leaders (CCLs) in 24 Chapters demonstrates a massive evolution in ownership. These volunteers, who are patients or caregivers themselves, ensure that the meetings and discussions are deeply relevant to local needs.
Digital Integration: The support system now extends beyond the physical meeting, leveraging social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, Google Email Groups) for regular updates and ongoing peer support.
3. What would you like to see in future meetings?
To continue this evolution and maximize the impact, I would like to see the following in future meetings:
More Structured Skill-Building Workshops: Sessions focused on practical life skills, such as financial planning, managing medical insurance or specific techniques for stress management and mindfulness, perhaps even integrated into the drama skit format for maximum retention.
Increased Focus on Caregiver-Specific Needs: While caregivers are always present, dedicated parallel sessions or workshops tailored solely to their unique emotional burdens and practical support requirements would be highly valuable.
Hybrid Formats for Accessibility: Utilizing the digital skills we’ve developed to ensure that patients and caregivers who cannot attend physical meetings (like those in remote areas or too ill to travel) can still participate virtually in key educational components and Q&A sessions.
Celebrating Long-Term Survivors: Dedicating a segment in every meeting to celebrate long-term survivors and their coping strategies provides tangible, powerful proof of hope and encourages newer patients.
4. In your experience with Support Group meetings, can you share a specific instance where you witnessed a notable impact or positive outcome for a patient?
The recent Kolkata meeting itself provided a perfect, palpable example of a positive outcome through the drama role plays.
The group that performed the scene about the patient needing to call The Max Foundation after forgetting the paperwork at Apollo Pharmacy provided a profound moment. The participants, through role-playing, not only enacted the confusion and frustration of the situation but, most importantly, demonstrated the correct and effective solution in a relatable way.
This role play served as a powerful, memorable teaching tool: it showed the audience that when issues arise (like forgetting necessary paper/document), the Max Foundation support mechanism is accessible via a simple phone call, and the problem can be resolved quickly. This moment transformed anxiety over a logistical hurdle into confident problem-solving for all 150 patients and caregivers present. This is the essence of FOM—taking a real-world difficulty and turning it into a moment of shared learning and empowerment.
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