Fearlessness holds the key to facing cancer and leading a quality life, said 23-year-old Masood Mehdi. He said fear and anxiety did not grip him when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. “Instead I considered the illness a test being conducted by the Almighty,” he said.
Lakshmi Ana, another survivor, shared how she emerged victorious after undergoing chemotherapy 30 times to treat her breast cancer.
After participating in the Winners’ Walk organised by the Life Again Foundation on Saturday at Beach Road, cancer conquerors shared their battle against the illness with the gathering.
Actor and founder of the Life Again Foundation Gautami Tadimalla, who walked along the cancer conquerors from the Kalimata temple to the YMCA, said the event aimed at providing a platform for warriors to reach out to a larger audience.
Actor and Hindupur MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna, who participated as chief guest, said more than the disease, the accompanying trauma took a heavy toll on the patients. The film star advised women to shed their inhibitions and get themselves screened at regular intervals for breast and cervical cancer.
Mr. Balakrishna said his father’s vision and mission was to provide quality medicare to the poorer sections of society at affordable fees and the Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute in Hyderabad aimed at fulfilling the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N.T. Rama Rao’s dreams.
“Close to ₹7 crore has been spent recently to set up advanced cancer treatment facilities, including robotic surgery and mobile mammography screening, in the hospital. What began as a 40-bed hospital has now grown into 512-bed institution,” said the chairman of the hospital.
Students from schools and colleges took part in the walk. Faiz of Faiz Fitness Studio and her team regaled the audience with zumba tracks, which also included a peppy number from Balayya-starrer Paisa Vasool .
Meenakshi Anantram of the Rohit Memorial Trust, president of the local chapter of the Life Again Foundation Gurmeet Kohli, director of the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre D. Raghunadha Rao, Joint Commissioner of Police D. Nagendra Kumar, Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University G. Nageswara Rao and Registrar V. Uma Maheswara Rao took part in the event which concluded with the distribution of gifts to cancer survivors.
