The beautiful Manisha Koirala and one of India’s leading cricketers’ Yuvraj Singh came together in Kolkata to create awareness and fight against cancer. “If we can, you can” is what they said. Being diagnosed with cancer is not the end of the road.
Manisha Koirala- The Cancer Crusader
Manisha refuses to be just a “survivor”. She is a cancer crusader since “A crusader has the attitude which gives you strength, because that is what you need when you are fighting a disease, which may be cancer or some other thing”.
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The 43 year old actress was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012. While recovering, there were times when her body would hurt so much that she would collapse in her bed. Today, even if she wants to conveniently forget about the tough times, it’s never easy.
She looks forward to losing some weight by training well, being on a healthy diet and doing yoga as well.
The Yuvraj Singh Cancer Story
“When you hear the word cancer for the first time you really get scared. Cancer. It is like a death sentence.” -Yuvraj Singh.
Yuvraj was on the top of the world in 2011, having a lion’s share in the country’s victory and bagging the World Cup. His performance in the series was exemplary and he was even adjudged the Player of the Series. He seemed to have it all, before the age of 30. So it came as quite a shock when the aggressive southpaw was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour. Life stood still for Yuvi and his past flashed before his eyes.
What did Yuvraj suffer from?
Yuvraj was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, a malignant tumour between his lung and heart known as seminoma. A seminoma is a kind of tumour usually found on the male reproductive organ.
Life after Cancer
Yuvraj Singh is a living, breathing testament of the fact that cancer is not the end of life as he powered India to a brilliant six-wicket win over Australia in the Twenty20 International at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium just eight months after finishing his treatment in the United States. The southpaw slammed an unbeaten 77 off 35 balls taking the team further toward victory. Declared the Man of the Match, he slammed eight boundaries and five sixes in the innings and had a strike rate of 220.
The cricketer has become one of the leading voices against cancer awareness, highlighting the battle in his book, The Test of My Life.
The life-altering experience has changed the goals of the flamboyant cricketer, who says that before cancer all his thoughts revolved around his career. “Now I am just happy to breathe again and eat food normally,” he said.
Not many elite sportsmen struck down in their prime by cancer recover sufficiently to return to the highest level, but Yuvraj Singh definitely did.
“The strength to fight against the disease comes from within; your family, friends and well-wishers.” said the 31 year old.
