Brian Mendonça
‘kee's last words were to smile upon his death
because he has got his freedom so please keep that smile for his sake’ - On
Instagram @help_keegan_survive
What does it mean to lose a teenager to cancer? ‘Keygan
Unleashed’ – a fund raiser music concert, at Taleigao Community centre 23-24
October, was all about that. It was put together by family and friends of Keegan
Afonso (15), who left us on 9 October after battling a rare form of leukaemia
for 9 months.
His dad’s first words, when we got talking to him by the
snacks counter were, ‘I am glad I got so much time to spend with him.’ Keegan
was with his family throughout, as they nursed him, cared for him, ‘praying for
a miracle.’
There are 30 different types of leukaemia, Keegan’s dad
was telling us. Keegan’s was only the 22nd recorded case of this type of
leukaemia in the world. Treatment costs amounted to 75 lakhs inclusive of
hospitalization charges.
Leukaemia comes
from the Greek words ‘Leucos’ meaning ‘white’ and ‘haima’ meaning blood. The
cancer of the white blood cells (leucocytes) in the body suppresses the
production of normal blood cells leading to anaemia (tiredness) and other
symptoms. Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth.
Often, as in the case of Queenie’s brother, cancer is not
detected until the very last stage. Savio had been suffering from headaches for
a while. Suspecting jaundice, they tried out various home and local remedies
for over a month during the November holidays in 1983. Finally his dad took him
to a child specialist in Bombay.
The doctor said he had only a week to live. The
irrepressible Savio made friends with all the nurses and doctors at KEM hospital.
He invited everyone to his hospital room for his birthday on 5 December. But
Savio slipped into coma that day. All the nurses brought cakes and flowers for
him on his birthday. The next day he was gone -- gone after his 14th
birthday.
It does not take much effort to accept that cancer is all
around us. Everywhere there are people we know or have known who have been
assailed by this disease -- be it throat cancer, breast cancer or cancer of the
uterus.
When I saw the dismal attendance, I asked his cousin Ninio
(8554050594) why. He said the event was planned when Keegan was alive. ‘I had
to keep the promise.’ Early that morning I had watched the
movie Forrest Gump (1994)where
Forrest (Tom Hanks), ex-US army does the same.
Mum was diagnosed with polycythemia – an abnormal increase
of haemoglobin in the blood – in the late 80’s. She used to feel very weak and
had to frequently go for bloodletting. The family did not alarm me too much
about mum’s actual condition as I was away. Dad who lovingly cared for mum
tells me, ‘Cancer is a one-way ticket. What matters is how you face it.’
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Published in "On my mind' in Gomantak Times, Weekender, St. Inez, Goa on Sunday, 1 November 2015. Pix of cancer survivor Yuvraj Singh on World Cancer Day, February 4, 2015 at http://yourstory.com/2015/02/world-cancer-day/. Also see www.youwecan.com
Comments
We hope and pray and are with all those who suffer.