Suraj (name changed), a happy go lucky young man has big dreams and many aspirations. Though from a humble family, he wants to live life king size and become a police officer. His father, a scooter mechanic with a ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude happily splurges on alcohol. His mother works as domestic help to support the family.

Suraj has seen his mother work hard all her life to feed the family. Suraj’s dream is to give his mother all the comforts of life. But life is full of unpredictable turns. It started with body pain and in a matter of few days, Suraj started feeling dizzy and would lose consciousness. He consulted a doctor at a local hospital and took whatever medication the doctor prescribed. His health did not improve so he decided to consult the doctors at AIIMS, Delhi who recommended certain tests.

Suraj will never forget that day when he had gone to see the medical oncologist at AIIMS to find out his test reports’ result. He still vividly remembers the oncologist walking into the room, wearing a light pink shirt and a blue tie, holding his report. He tried to stay calm, looked at the doctor and said: “What do the reports say?” The doctor replied: “I’m afraid the reports confirm cancer in your spinal cord.” The word cancer kept echoing in his head for a few minutes and his vision became blurred. Suraj was recommended surgery.

Suraj’s family wanted him to undergo surgery as soon as possible, but the date given by the hospital was too far in the future. The family did not want to wait for that long and decided to get his surgery done at a private hospital. The whopping cost of getting the surgery done at a private hospital was beyond their means. Suraj’s mother adores him and would do anything for him. She knocked on every single door in the neighbourhood and her relatives to put the money together.

After the surgery, Suraj became bedridden. He was in constant pain, he could only walk with a limp and was unable to stand upright and experienced a sharp pain and sensation of a tight band about his chest if he attempted to cough or take a deep breath. He also had a sensation of numbness in his abdomen when lying down.

This was also the time lockdown was imposed in the country to control the coronavirus spread. Suraj would be in so much pain and discomfort but due to hospitals full of Covid-19 patients, he couldn’t get an appointment with his doctor at AIIMS. One day he was in so much pain that he called his oncologist who advised him to contact CanSupport’s helpline number. When the palliative care team from CanSupport visited him first, he was in excruciating pain.

The doctor in the palliative care immediately helped Suraj with medication for pain. The nurse further helped him with advice on food and tips on nursing care and the team counsellor also talked to Suraj and the family. He listened carefully and shared some of his own insights to help him grapple with the uncertainty of his illness.

The CanSupport palliative care team started visiting Suraj on a regular basis. Serious illness doesn’t just affect the patient, it also affects the caregiver and the family. Nothing could be more painful for Suraj’s mother than to see her young son bedridden. The counsellor would listen to her concerns and anxieties and try to put her mind at ease.

Suraj’s family had spent every single penny that they had on Suraj’s surgery, they barely had enough food to eat. The CanSupport team helped the family by providing them with free ration for which they couldn’t thank CanSupport enough.

Looking at Suraj fighting with his illness so bravely and the sincere hard work of the palliative care team from CanSupport, Suraj’s father also reflected on his irresponsible behaviour. One day he broke down in front of the counsellor and admitted how selfish he felt. Regular counselling sessions with the counsellor has helped Suraj’s father have a change of heart and he has started to pitch in with the housework. He is also trying hard to give up his addiction to alcohol. Suraj’s mother couldn’t be happier.

Suraj still has a lot of anger in him. He is particularly angry at God because he wants to do so much for his mother rather than be dependent on her and feel helpless. The counsellor listens to him patiently and encourages him to focus on becoming healthy again so that he can fulfil his dream of giving his mother life of comfort.

Suraj is still living with cancer, but because of palliative care, he is able to live well with it. He feels that palliative care is not just a treatment but a treat!

We at CanSupport continue to visit Suraj and wish him a speedy recovery. We hope he fulfils all his dreams.

There are many people like Suraj and his family who need palliative care but they don’t know where to go. While CanSupport is doing its best the reach out to people informing them about their services, we request you to spread the word.