I still remember the moment when I told him about the disease. Like any other person, initially he was shocked. But, later the actor regained his natural humour and tempo which he never missed during the treatment period. I could feel that it was never a deliberate attempt to be happy but he was really pleasant and had a positive frame of mind.
Innocent was never a fussy patient and had total trust in medication and perfectly followed instructions during the treatment. It was this steely determination and resolve that helped him overcome the dreaded disease. Innocent was suffering from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphocytes.
Usually a celebrity or a top professional, who are at the peak of their achievement, would prefer to hide disease from public. This will eventually create unnecessary emotional trauma and side effects, badly affecting their physical health.
I felt, what made him different from other patients were four major qualities. He never wanted to hide disease from the public, due to his sense of humour and positive thinking he never had a depressive phase, his trust in treatment also helped him to overcome the struggling phase.
Most importantly, Innocent frequently talked to other patients and shared a very strong message on cancer prevention and treatment. In fact, he has become a brand ambassador of cancer prevention. The actor could bring relief for many patients through his words laced with humour. When a celebrity survivor shares his/her experience in battling the disease, it can greatly influence the patients.
Generally, cancer prevention and treatment policies in the state are in a wrong direction since major thrust is given to palliative care. When cancer cases are going up, we give more focus on palliative care while prevention and cure is neglected.
(As told to Smitha)
(The writer is a noted Oncologist )
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