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The survivors

They have lived to tell the tale. Cancer survivors share the experience of their battle with the dreaded disease and how they emerged victorious

Photo M. Periasamy

THE WILL TO SMILE Cancer Survivors Day was about celebrating life

"Why didn't you let me die? Why did you have to give me a lease on life?" — These were the questions Dr. Ramnath Jayram faced from his patients whom he had treated and cured of cancer.

It got him thinking and thus was born the Vasantha Memorial Trust.

On 11th February, Cancer Survivor's Day, the trust organised a get-together for survivors.

"We realised that cancer patients need to be rehabilitated. Invariably, due to the nature of the disease and the long break they would have had from work, they are unable to find acceptance at their workplace, at home or even in society at large," said Dr Jayaram and this realisation made him start the Trust.

The aim was to help cancer survivors find their place back in mainstream life.

The stigma

Namagiri Lakshmi, a 67-year-old cancer survivor has been free of the dreaded disease for the past four years and she has been a regular at the Cancer Survivors Day function held by the trust for the last five years.

She is delighted that from a meagre 24 people who attended the first meet, the number has swelled to over hundred and still counting.

"It is sad that there is still a stigma attached to cancer. There are many who will not come out and say they have cancer or that they are recovering from it. But it is important that they do."

Lakshmi feels that a platform where survivors get together and share their trials and tribulations will go far in demystifying the misconceptions about cancer.

"People have such fears. Will anyone marry my daughter?', Can I marry and lead a normal life?', Is it okay if I eat non-vegetarian food?. These are the questions they are plagued with," she says.

"Counselling helps and the Trust educates survivors and their families and friends about cancer and how it can be tackled and fought and overcome. Most importantly it spreads the message that cancer survivors can lead normal lives", explains Lakshmi.

The trust has several programmes to rehabilitate survivors.

It provides free education to children, pension to the older survivors and in the case of young adults helps them find employment.

Often, the economically backward patients are given free medicines.

According to several survivors, the cost factor of the treatment itself makes them lose the will to live.

"While donations come in, it is never enough. Four lakhs may be a big amount, but that is enough for the treatment of only two patients," explained Dr Jayaram. Viswanath from Pudukottai looked like any teenager.

He sang a song from the popular "Ghajini" that was received with thunderous applause. Dr Jayaram was overwhelmed.

"I didn't recognise him. He was a little boy when I treated him," he said.

The doctor said nothing gave him more joy than seeing his former patients leading normal lives and enjoying the simple pleasures of life. E. Kuppuswamy from Erode shared his experience with everyone present.

"Eleven years ago I was diagnosed with cancer. There were no medicines and I had to take painful injections and I thought that I would die. But with Dr Jayaram's support, I fought the disease and I am standing here today, reborn." `You have cancer' nothing could be closer to a death sentence than these words. And for many it is like a death knell.

Irresponsible representations

"Sometimes people talk irresponsibly without knowing about the disease," said Lakshmi and added how she watched a serial recently that showed a young child diagnosed with cancer.

"The way the characters in the serial reacted to the situation and behaved, any kid watching it would be petrified."

That is irresponsible, feels Lakshmi, and says interaction amongst cancer survivors and an awareness campaign could help dispel misconceptions.

Dr Jayaram said, "That is why we insisted that the survivors sit together and make the decorations for today's function. This way they are forced to interact, open up and exchange views. That is also why we insisted everyone come forward and light the lamp and be counted as a cancer survivor," he said.

A long line of survivors slowly made their way and some of them misty eyed and others smiling broadly, placed the lamp that represented for them hope, victory, courage, determination, faith and gratitude.

All those present that day knew that they had received a rare gift — another shot at life.

PANKAJA SRINIVASAN

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