An incorrigible optimist and someone who has been very open about her fight against multiple myeloma (cancer of the bone marrow), Lisa Ray terms herself as a “cancer graduate”.
“Cancer has taught me so much; on how to be much more invested in our lives,” Lisa Ray told The Hindu during her visit to the city on Monday. Heads turn out of curiosity as the charming model-actor entered Kamal Watch showroom at CMR Central to launch a special collection of Rado watches.
It has been over seven years since she shared her personal fight against cancer through her blog The Yellow Diaries.
“I am very much embedded in the multiple myeloma community. I made it my business to talk about my experiences through it. A lot of our life is a matter of choice. You can choose to view cancer as very frightening or conclusive, or you can choose to view it as a learning experience,” said the actor.
Ever since she was diagnosed with cancer in 2009, she has been making all efforts to spread awareness and championing the cause of this little-known disease to help raise funds for its research. Reflecting on her journey, Ms Ray said it had not been the easiest, there had been good and bad times.
“Cancer has taught me that even while going through the most difficult experiences, we can still transform through it. It depends on how you re-frame that experience. A lot of our life is a matter of choice,” she added.
Floored by Vizag beauty
A passionate nature lover, the model-actor was smitten by the beauty of Vizag on her first visit to the city. “Why would I go vacationing in Bali or Sri Lanka! Vizag has been a revelation for me. It has been on my radar for many years. I am definitely going to come back and this time I will be here with my husband here as well,” she said.
Floored by the greenery and serenity of the city, she said, “A very important aspect of healing is to have to connect with nature. In that respect, people in Visakhapatnam should have one leg up over others in remaining healthy.”
