Surviving death

Returning and revitalising one’s life from the after effects of a serious, debilitating disease like cancer surely justifies writing a memoir. On that front alone, author Amit Vaidya deserves appreciation for his recent book ‘Holy Cancer- How a cow saved my life’. Then when one gets to read more about his serious medical condition, which meant reversing his destiny from stage four to remission- a journey from where “many have been unable to return from successfully” one is face-to-face with the grim battle that he fought and emerged successful.

With modern lifestyles leading to outbreak of medical emergencies sooner than later, each one of us must be in the know about young lives getting snuffed out or permanently affected because something, which was not expected to have occurred in their lives has happened. Here too, Vaidya, as his book’s blurb says, is a young man’ who sets off on a one-of-a-kind journey that perhaps nobody should ever have to.’

A first-generation American-Indian, he is given six months to live and no immediate family to support him and hence ventures a path less taken and explores alternative treatments throughout India for his metastatic stage IV cancer diagnosis. In his own words: “what starts as a prelude to his death but ends up giving birth to his second life”.

This dramatic turnaround in his life is just but the first part of the story. Having come back from the brink of an abyss, Vaidya was not just content sharing his amazing life story and resting on his oars. He is now a proud ‘health advocate’ basing his counseling on a decade of experience as a patient, as a caregiver and as a medical consumer. So what does this role entail? The book cover elucidates: “He has developed a unique gift of navigating the system for fellow patients while prescribing them with endless doses of positivity and practicality.”

This is how his NGO ‘Healing Vaidya’, resonating with his surname became a reality. It could also be because all through the ten years that he endured the after-effects of cancer, the one thing he did right was to put his health first. As he adds: “Everything, I mean everything, was second to that. Many disagreed with my priorities; I lost a lot of support along my journey because of this. When your priority is money or work or appearance within society, it’s a different story and a completely different journey.”

Of course, the young man is thankful for the phenomenal support all the way through his fight. He specially mentions the two people most responsible for his ability to survive and to live in happiness - his parents. In a prose, laced with touching emotions he writes: “Dad was my biggest advocate and his unconditional support is still something that echoes in my ear when I need it most.

Even more than a decade later, his selfless love for me is stronger than anyone in my life. On the other hand, Mom was simply the greatest friend I could have had. Her ability to share, give and put other’s need ahead of hers, I try my best to live by that example. But her greatest gift to me was the lesson she shared with me towards the end of her life - that no matter what adversity we face in life, end the day living it to the fullest, going to sleep thankful for that day and literally being at peace if that were to be the last day of my life.” True, indeed!

By:K Naresh Kumar