E-Paper
5-year-old’s cancer recovery brings cheer amid Covid gloom
Karan won a battle against cancer on April 24 and finally went back to his village with his parents after chemotherapy sessions for six months at the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH)
Amid the gloom of the Covid-19 outbreak, five-year-old Karan Bansal’s cancer recovery has brought a cheer to his family and his village, Budhlada.
Karan, who won the battle against cancer on April 24, finally went back to his village with his parents after undergoing chemotherapy sessions for six months at the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) here.
Karan was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer that starts in the lymphatic system and occurs when the body produces too many abnormal lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells. While his condition was detected in September last year, his chemotherapy sessions started on November 26.
His father, Suresh Kumar Bansal, who runs a small cosmetic shop in his village, said he, along with his wife Raj Rani, was always with Karan in Ludhiana while his two daughters Khushi and Dwanshi stayed back with their grandmother Urmila in the village.
“These six months were the toughest phase of over lives. Only a parent can understand how it feels when you learn that your four-year-old son is in the fourth stage cancer. But I’m glad that all that is over now and my son is healthy, laughing and playing with his sisters,” said Bansal.
After completing his session on April 18 and follow-up on April 22, he was given clearance by the team of doctors, who had been treating him, last week.
The curfew, imposed by the government to contain the spread of coronavirus, has also affected Bansal family and their small business, but the joy of having their son back has overshadowed every distress for now.
“Due to my son’s treatment, I have kept my shop closed for the past eight months. We have already exhausted all our savings and are surviving on the money that we borrowed from our relatives. We are in a tough spot, but the joy of having our son back after winning a battle against cancer has overshadowed even the distress caused by the pandemic. We thank God every day for healing our son and also the hospital staff and NGO, CanKids, that helped us financially and emotionally throughout the whole process,” said Suresh.
Karan also celebrated his 5th birthday by cutting a homemade cake made by his mother.
“On his birthday, Karan wanted a bicycle, but due to lockdown and our current financial condition, I can’t afford it, but he is a really sweet kid. He was happy with cake and balloons and being back with his family,” Suresh added.
For people suffering from coronavirus, Suresh said recovery from all deadly diseases depended on willpower.
“Faith in God and strong willpower are the strengths in such times. Even though my son was fighting cancer, his smile and our faith in God were our strengths. I want to advise the Covid-19 positive patients not to lose hope and keep fighting with faith in God,” he added.
