Harteij Bhartesh was in college, studying law in Noida, when he first found a swelling on the right side of his neck. Months later, with the swelling persisting, he underwent a biopsy in Hyderabad, and was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma – a cancer of the lymphatic system, part of the immune system. He was 23.
Nearly three years and 12 chemotherapy sessions later, Harteij, whose hometown is in Madhya Pradesh, is on a mission – a ‘Ride of Hope’ — on his Kawasaki Ninja 300, to travel solo across every State over five months, interact with cancer patients in hospitals, tell them about his experience and encourage them to stay strong. Harteij also promotes a healthy diet, and is telling people to stop smoking.
“When I was diagnosed, I was already in the third stage. But, I was determined to complete my degree. I finished college, attended my convocation and then began chemotherapy in May 2014. I should have begun it earlier, but I was afraid. I now tell people not to be scared and to start proper treatment as soon as possible,” he said.
Chemotherapy was not easy. “I lost a lot of weight and a lot of my hair – even my eyebrows,” said Harteij, but once finished, he slowly began to recover. Soon, he started cycling, went to the gym, and even began applying for jobs.
“I went to Pune for an interview, but I was told the job might be too stressful for a cancer patient. I told them I was in remission, but I didn’t get the job,” he said.
That is when, with support from family and friends, on May 1, Harteij began his campaign from Raipur. “I have been to Maharashtra, visited Hyderabad and Bengaluru and plan to go to Puducherry next,” he said, while on his visit to Chennai last week, where he visited patients at three hospitals. He covers an average of 500 km a day, and in many cities, fellow riding enthusiasts have put him up.
“Often, I hear about men abandoning their wives who have cancer and sometimes, even the other way around. I can empathise, as something similar happened to me and I was very depressed for a while. But, I tell the patients they must not lose faith. Cancer can be beaten,” he said.
