L V Prasad Eye Institute’s Flagship Of Eighth Edition ‘WHITATHON Run’ To Raise Awareness And Funds For Retinoblastoma Treatment Held.

Hyderabad, Telangana, 10th of May, 2026 : L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) organized the Eighth Edition of ‘WHITATHON’ today, to raise awareness about the early detection of Retinoblastoma (eye cancer) in children, and funds for its treatment. The event commemorates the World Retinoblastoma Awareness Week, observed between May 10-16, this year.  

Half Marathon (21.1K) flagged off by Dr Prashant Garg, Executive Chairman – L V Prasad Eye Institute; Dr Vijay Anand Reddy, Director, Apollo Cancer Centres, Hyderabad; Mr Arun Kumar Kalliapan, President – Hyderabad Runners; 10K flagged off by Sri Venkatesh Reddy, Regional Sales Manager, Alcon Laboratories India Pvt. Ltd.; 5K flagged off by Dr Merle Fernandez, Campus Head – Kllam Anji Reddy Campus, LVPEI; and Sri Ch Srinivasa Rao, DGM, Corporate Communications, NMDC. Dr Swathi Kaliki, Head – Operation Eyesight Universal Institute for Eye Cancer, LVPEI; graced the occasion. Around 2000 enthusiastic runners participated in the run, helping raise awareness and funds for retinoblastoma treatment.

Dr Prashant Garg, Executive Chairman – LVPEI; saidFor a nation to truly thrive, awareness about health issues is essential. The purpose of this run is to spread awareness about Retinoblastoma — a rare but serious eye cancer that affects children. When a child suffers from any illness, it impacts not only their health but also their overall growth and development. The biggest challenge with Retinoblastoma is that many parents fail to recognize the symptoms at an early stage. By the time it becomes visibly noticeable and is diagnosed, it is often too late to save the eye, and in some cases, even saving the child’s life becomes difficult. This is why awareness and early detection are absolutely critical. Today, each one of you volunteered not only to spread awareness but also to raise funds, ensuring that no child is denied timely treatment and care due to lack of financial support. Your participation is helping bring hope, support, and a brighter future to countless children and their families.

Dr Vijay Anand Reddy urged “everyone present to spread awareness about the symptoms of retinoblastoma. He said, “If each of us share the awareness we picked up from being a part of Whitathon with the people in our circle of influence, we would make a big difference to ensure cases are detected early and treated enabling us to save vision and life. As a cancer specialist, one of the most common questions I am asked is, “Why did I get cancer? What could I have done that led to it?” But imagine a small child, innocent, unaware of the world, being diagnosed with an eye cancer called Retinoblastoma. These children deserve the very best treatment and care, and no child should ever be denied treatment because of financial constraints. L V Prasad Eye Institute has taken up the responsibility of providing world-class care and treatment to such children. Retinoblastoma primarily affects children below the age of four, and early detection can make a life-changing difference. One important sign parents should watch for is while taking a photograph of the child — if a white, glowing reflection or spot appears in the center of the eye instead of the normal red reflex, it is crucial to consult a doctor immediately. Early diagnosis can help save not only the eye but also the child’s life. Thank you to each and every one of you for being part of this run, for raising awareness, and for contributing funds towards the treatment and care of these little angels. Your support brings hope to many families and helps ensure a brighter future for these children.”

Dr Swathi Kaliki, Head – Operation Eyesight Universal Institute for Eye Cancer, Kallam Anji Reddy Campus, Hyderabad spoke on the need to create awareness about the symptoms of retinoblastoma among the public and elaborated, “We must educate the public, especially young parents on retinoblastoma symptoms. If you spot a white pupil reflex in a child’s eye, in a flash photograph, immediately consult an ophthalmologist. Early detection and treatment can save the child’s vision and life. The reason this run is called Whitathon is because a white reflex seen in a child’s eye can sometimes be an early sign of eye cancer, specifically Retinoblastoma. Whenever such a white reflection is noticed, it is extremely important to seek an immediate eye examination. Each one of you gathered here today has the power to spread this life-saving message among your friends, families, and communities. Greater awareness can lead to earlier diagnosis, timely treatment, and ultimately save the lives and vision of countless children. Let us work together to ensure that no child suffering from Retinoblastoma loses their life or sight due to lack of awareness or access to treatment. Thank you all for being part of this meaningful cause and for helping create hope for these little children and their families.”

The funds raised from the Whitathon run are utilized to treat underprivileged children suffering from Retinoblastoma at no cost, and to support future research. This year, around 2000 enthusiastic participants joined the cause, demonstrating strong community support for the event.

Retinoblastoma is a rare eye cancer that primarily affects children under five years of age.

What causes Retinoblastoma?

Loss of “RB1 gene” – a tumor suppressor gene whose function is to stop cells from turning cancerous.

Symptoms & Signs of Retinoblastoma

Consult a trained ophthalmologist immediately if you notice any of these symptoms in children:

·       Leukocoria or “White reflex” (clearly visible in photographs clicked with a flash)

·       Squint

·       Red Eyes

·       Swollen Eyelids

·       Enlarged Eyes

The treatment usually involves multiple procedures and surgeries, with close monitoring over several months. From the funds raised through the whitathon, LVPEI has till date offered over 3000 treatments free of cost. 

Annually, the institute treats 150 to 200 new cases of Retinoblastoma. It was possible to save the life of a child in 90% of the cases treated at LVPEI. However, we could save vision in only 45% of these cases. 55% lost their vision because of late presentation.

Early detection and treatment ensure better outcomes for the children.

L V Prasad Eye Institute’s WHITATHON Run 2026 winners:

5K Top 3 Female OPEN
Bib	Name	Gender	Race	Chiptime
5072	Pranika Dixit	F	5K	0:29:22
5338	Swana	F	5K	0:32:16
5098	Nikhitha George	F	5K	0:33:49

10K Top 3 Female OPEN
Bib	Name	Gender	Race	Chiptime
10184	Kitu Sheoran	F	10K	0:49:57
10178	Aishwarya Agarwal	F	10K	0:56:18
10078	Anisha Sharma	F	10K	0:58:57

Half Marathon (21.1K) Top 3 Female OPEN
Bib	Name	Gender	Race	Chiptime
21136	Sangeeta Phalswal	F	Half Marathon	2:19:09
21160	Mona	F	Half Marathon	2:36:30
21055	Kriti Jain	F	Half Marathon	2:56:50

5K Top 3 Male OPEN
Bib	Name	Gender	Race	Chiptime
5302	Mohd Younus	M	5K	0:21:15
5301	Umesh Bishwakarma Umesh	M	5K	0:21:48
5110	Vennam Anand	M	5K	0:22:28

10K Top 3 Male OPEN
Bib	Name	Gender	Race	Chiptime
10225	Pradeep Thakur	M	10K	0:45:05
10071	Viresh Sharadi	M	10K	0:45:26
10172	Ranbir Singh Bagga	M	10K	0:46:14

Half Marathon (21.1K) Top 3 Male OPEN
Bib	Name	Gender	Race	Chiptime
21083	Suraj Sarkar	M	Half Marathon	1:30:02
21026	Tapan Rai	M	Half Marathon	1:37:51
10349	Md Shahbaz	M	Half Marathon	1:42:40

About Whitathon: Whitathon is LVPEI’s annual cause-related running event aimed at raising awareness and funds for the early diagnosis and treatment of life and vision-threatening Retinoblastoma in children. The event highlights the importance of early detection, as cancer is curable if treated promptly. The signature symptom of Retinoblastoma is a white reflex in the child’s eye, which requires immediate medical attention. White reflex is a white or yellowish-white glow that appears in the pupil (the black part) of a child’s eye when light is shined on it, especially in photos taken with a flash. Other symptoms include poor vision, redness of the eyes and squint eyes. 

Support and Participation: The success of Whitathon is attributed to the overwhelming participation and support from the community, sponsors, and volunteers.

Diamond sponsors: Alcon Laboratories (India) Pvt Ltd

Gold sponsors: DSR Prime Spaces, National Mineral Development Corporation & GTN Engineering India Ltd

Silver sponsors: Gebauer Medizintechnik GMBH

Bronze sponsors: Cure Foundation, Roche Products (India) Pvt. Ltd., Premier Energies Limited &

Rotary Lake District Moinabad

Supporters: Biomedix Optotechnik & Devices Pvt. Ltd., Aswini Homeo & Ayurvedic Products Pvt. Ltd., O P Tibrewala Foundation, Asian Surgical Company & KnowTheGlow

Partners: Operation Eyesight Universal (Supporter of LVPEI’s Institute for Eye Cancer)

Hyderabad Runners (Run Partner)

Synchrony, Oracle, Optum, Microsoft (Volunteer Partner)

AIR VIVIDH Bharathi FM (Radio Partner)

EMRI Green Health Services (Medical Partner)

Akshayakalpa (Protein Partner)

Zumi Milkshake (Beverage Partner)

Nutri Nest (Wellness Partner)

About LVPEI:  Established in 1987, with the vision,” to create excellent and equitable eye care systems that reach all those in need,” the L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), a comprehensive eye health institute, is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Blindness.

The LVPEI’s five-tier ‘Eye Health Pyramid’ model, covering all areas of the community right from the villages to the city, provides high quality and comprehensive preventive, curative, and rehabilitative eye care to all. The LVPEI Eye Care Network has 310+ centres across the Indian states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Karnataka. It has till date offered over 24 million centre-based services (2 crores 40 lakh services), with more than 50% entirely free of cost, irrespective of the complexity of care needed.

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