Beaming through the battle
80 per cent of children detected with cancer have a great chance to fight the disease and become cancer free.
Over the years of raising funds for underprivileged cancer patients, I have noticed a unique fact. The resilience of the girl child.
Koel Dutta was diagnosed with leukaemia when she was just nine years old. Her father, who lives in a village in Malda, West Bengal, had lung cancer but was determined to treat his child. He sent his wife along with Koel to Mumbai where her treatment began. The journey back and forth took four long years and a significant depletion of all their savings. One thing remained constant though, the smile on Koel's face. It is remarkable how she took four years of trauma with a smile. Today, she is the beaming mascot behind all of Tata Medical Centre's campaigns.
We can never forget the sight of Amina Khathun, a thin girl crouched on the bed at our hospital. All one could see was her long tresses reaching below her waist. Her trauma was losing her hair due to chemotherapy post the removal of a nine-kilogram tumour. It is amazing how quickly she came to terms with it. She regained her strength and went back to her studies. Sadly, her tumour appeared again. The tumour had spread from her abdomen to her chest and was life threatening. The doctors operated a second time and removed all traces of cancerous growth. This was a painful phase, but Amina kept her cool. She returned to school and excelled in her board exams. She dreams of being a software engineer.
Koel and Amina are two of the hundreds of girls who have shown courage and determination in their fight against cancer. Baby Darshika holds a special place in our hearts. She was only a few months old when she was detected with cancer of the eye. Her father sadly, had lost both his eyes to cancer and is visually challenged. It is amazing how Darshika's mother stayed resolute. She felt she could not restore her husbands eyesight but was determined to save her daughter's. Through Darshika's treatment, her mother Poornima kept her emotions under control and indeed, Darshika is rapidly regaining her eyesight. Over the years, we have seen mothers burst into tears. This is but natural for any mother who cannot bear to see her child in pain. Very often we have seen the amazing sight of girls consoling their mothers. Very often, people have asked me how after losing so many dear ones to cancer, I can enter the children's ward with a smile. My answer is simple, the smile on the girls' faces that always greets me. Where is the place for tears?
Koel Dutta was diagnosed with leukaemia when she was just nine years old. Her father, who lives in a village in Malda, West Bengal, had lung cancer but was determined to treat his child. He sent his wife along with Koel to Mumbai where her treatment began. The journey back and forth took four long years and a significant depletion of all their savings. One thing remained constant though, the smile on Koel's face. It is remarkable how she took four years of trauma with a smile. Today, she is the beaming mascot behind all of Tata Medical Centre's campaigns.
We can never forget the sight of Amina Khathun, a thin girl crouched on the bed at our hospital. All one could see was her long tresses reaching below her waist. Her trauma was losing her hair due to chemotherapy post the removal of a nine-kilogram tumour. It is amazing how quickly she came to terms with it. She regained her strength and went back to her studies. Sadly, her tumour appeared again. The tumour had spread from her abdomen to her chest and was life threatening. The doctors operated a second time and removed all traces of cancerous growth. This was a painful phase, but Amina kept her cool. She returned to school and excelled in her board exams. She dreams of being a software engineer.
Koel and Amina are two of the hundreds of girls who have shown courage and determination in their fight against cancer. Baby Darshika holds a special place in our hearts. She was only a few months old when she was detected with cancer of the eye. Her father sadly, had lost both his eyes to cancer and is visually challenged. It is amazing how Darshika's mother stayed resolute. She felt she could not restore her husbands eyesight but was determined to save her daughter's. Through Darshika's treatment, her mother Poornima kept her emotions under control and indeed, Darshika is rapidly regaining her eyesight. Over the years, we have seen mothers burst into tears. This is but natural for any mother who cannot bear to see her child in pain. Very often we have seen the amazing sight of girls consoling their mothers. Very often, people have asked me how after losing so many dear ones to cancer, I can enter the children's ward with a smile. My answer is simple, the smile on the girls' faces that always greets me. Where is the place for tears?
Comments
Post a Comment