In the heart of Sri Lanka’s concrete capital, tucked behind the clinical seriousness of Maharagama’s hospital zone, there is a building that does not whisper illness — it welcomes hope.
A few hundred metres from the country’s main cancer hospital, formerly known simply as the Cancer Hospital, now renamed Apeksha — meaning hope — to ease the dread once bound to its name, stands a different kind of space. Green, proud, gentle. Suwa Arana.
Its name means “a place for healing.” And that is exactly what it is.
Step inside, and you’ll find not a waiting room, but a warm gathering. The reception is alive with the movement of children, parents, volunteers in pink or grey t-shirts — each one rising to ask gently, “How can I help you?” Their smiles are the first treatment given here.
That smile means more than welcome. It’s the spirit of Indira — a vibrant mother, daughter, sister, and wife, who smiled even through her final days of cancer. It was her strength, her grace, and her smile that inspired her father, Hon. Karu Jayasuriya, to build a space that would hold other families through their hardest hours. That legacy is now Indira Cancer Trust, and its beating heart:
Suwa Arana-A Place for Healing
But this is not just a story of a building. It is a story of how love can become action.
At Suwa Arana, every child and family are not only treated — they are cherished. They’re served hot buffet meals, thoughtfully prepared with both nutrition and comfort in mind. Many children returning from hospital eagerly await their meal here, often calling it “Indira Hotel.”
The rooms, designed like family suites, offer far more than beds — they offer dignity, privacy, and peace.
Healing doesn’t come only through medicine. It comes at 4 p.m. each day, when the healing garden comes alive — with music, laughter, play.
Here, children sing karaoke, stir pots during cooking therapy, dance in circles, explore art, cuddle therapy dogs, or simply smile during a magic show. There is music therapy. There is teaching. There is joy. As one father, at a recent event, stood up and shared:
“My son waits every single day for 4 p.m. — to come and do something. This is what he looks forward to.”
That father was speaking of his son Matheesha. For months, he and his mother were a constant presence at Suwa Arana. He would greet new families, help volunteers, and sit cheerfully at the reception. Today, Matheesha is in a wheelchair, with a catheter and limited mobility. His condition is now palliative. But his room remains his own. His father and brother stay with him as often as possible. His mother still smiles — still grateful — every time we meet.
Because even in grief, there is gratitude. Even in suffering, we can create space for tenderness.
This is the heartbeat of Suwa Arana – A Place for Healing
We serve tea. We serve meals. We hold hands. We host relaxation sessions with drumming circles and craftwork. We bake together, we dance together, we talk about life and sometimes, death — but never without care.
We do all this not to distract from pain, but to walk with it. To remind each child — and every parent — that even if we cannot cure, we can comfort. And in comfort, there is healing.
This is a place where siblings walk in and proudly show off ‘their’ rooms. Where children are seen and heard. Where volunteers become family. Where love lives in the details.
Because palliative care, for us, is not an end-of-life offering. It is a celebration of what life still holds.
At Indira Cancer Trust, we don’t just want to help families. We want to change society. We want to reintroduce kindness as a value — to show that dignity, compassion, and empathy can coexist with clinical care.
That is why our doors are always open — to volunteers, to students, to those curious enough to learn and brave enough to feel. We believe young people must experience this space, must witness the power of healing rooted in humanity.
And at the centre of it all is Indira.
Her life was a gift. Her death, a turning point. Her father transformed his grief into service. And through that, Suwa Arana was born — not just a building, but a movement.
A movement that serves tea, yes — but also dignity. That grants wishes — and daily miracles. That offers smiles — and space to breathe.
This is not just a place. It is a promise. That no child should walk alone through cancer. That every family deserves to be heard, held and supported. That healing, in all its forms, is still possible.
And that, above all, is what we hope the world will carry with them — one smile at a time.
Joan Hyde
Coordinator – Suwa Arana -A Place for Healing
Indira Cancer Trust
Above all, this what we hope to pass on beyond our doors – one smile at a time