Rest in Peace Mother !

Since then, I have been feeling like I had no words to write any blog on cancer. I felt so helpless about this whole thing, was in complete shock, anger, and guilt of living so far apart from my mother especially for last 10 years while living in United States and working as a cancer biologist. However, I find it comforting that I was able to fly back and be with her in time while she was still alive, chatted with her intermittently for hours, right before the day she finally left us forever…….  

Deep down in my heart, I often think that had my mother been in United States where I live, she could have been saved as depending on the stage and spread of cancer, for localized cervical cancer, 5-year survival rates are 92% in the United States.  Unfortunately, she was in India, where 5-year survival rate is only 48.7%. She was only 64............................. It’s been more than 6 months, but I still feel lost ….helpless…….angered……and…. dispirited, especially after knowing that she could have been saved.

Anyways, I am trying my best to come back to my normal life where I could contribute whatever little it may be from my side to cancer research, a thing that I have been doing for last 15 years.

Mother, your battle against cancer strengthens my life’s goal to dedicate my career to cancer research.  I am sorry mother, recent developments in cancer research could not save your life, largely because you had no access to them, but I sincerely hope, that cancer care in third world countries will improve significantly soon and others will benefit. In the meantime, we will keep crusading against this disease in our laboratories…..amen….