Life is beautiful when you are not afraid of it. Decades of struggle, fortitude and a path steeped in absolute misery; cancer is perhaps the most lethal and traumatic of all battles we fight in life. Nothing equals the horror, the searing pain of the sufferer and the endurance of the family. It left one aghast and disturbed to see how quickly its parameters are rising! Hence, a dire need to build a cost-effective abode for those perpetually suffering was first proposed by Nargis Dutt…when her life was cut short by cancer, and this dream project materialized by her husband, Sunil Dutt.
Article 14 of the Indian Constitution states ‘all equal in the eyes of the law’ – maybe contentious but all equal in the eyes of cancer- is not. The oncogene has no respect for social boundaries, doesn’t understand religion, race, caste; the rich and the poor are alike. So why do we shower accolades when an affluent celebrity cricketer or a superstar emerges a victor fighting cancer? Why don’t we cheer as loudly and proudly for a John Doe- or for that matter a Jane Doe? Is it because we idolise our heroes, know them too well…do you know your next door neighbor that well? There’s a hero in everyone- a star lies in the scores of people who have cancer, combating it and finally succumbing to it due to lack of money or resources. Cancer not only claims the life of its patient but leaves families emotionally and financially indigent.
However once a while there comes a paragon…worth hero-worshiping!
She was a year old when her parents were divorced, harassed in high-school for being lean- with spectacles and braces, a drug addict by 20, severe depression leading to a couple of suicide attempts, a nervous wreck at 24, two years later a bold decision of adopting her first child transformed her life. Angelina Jolie was 37 when she discovered she had a high risk of breast and ovarian cancer in a long hereditary line of gene anomaly…following which the indomitable spirit of a woman, she underwent operations to remove her breasts and ovaries. This sheer brevity, will-power and an utter lack of concern for age-old prejudices and social stigma make her a “she-ro” and an example of every woman. Her message is loud and clear when she says,” I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice…”
Folks, we are all in this together, so let’s be together and intensify the campaign ‘We can. I can’.
Charlie Chaplin is the great visionary that he was said,”you’ll never find a rainbow if you’re looking down.” So, Rise and Shine.Life is beautiful