On Friday, Sumegha Gulati, a journalist and reporter ended her long-drawn battle with cancer.
Gulati was an independent journalist who often wrote for The Indian Express, Scroll, and Caravan. She was also a regular contributor for The Quint.
On her 22nd birthday, she was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
For years she battled with the pathogen that had invaded her body. In a blog post from 2014, titled ‘I Dated Cancer’, she described how she kept her courage when she was diagnosed, and worse, when the cancer relapsed.
Maa, my pillar of strength, surprised me with her determination. My father and brother, who were the subjects of my harshest behaviour and yet never left my side, Masi – I have no words to describe what she did for me but I think most importantly, she touched my soul. My grandparents stood by me in every sense of the word, friends, colleagues, doctors- without whom this journey could never be complete.
As the chemotherapy and radiation began, Gulati had to brace herself with what was just the beginning of her struggle. But even through that, she had a light-heartedness about her.
Chemotherapy commenced. One of the best things about the chemo therapies were awesome hot and young doctors. AIIMS hospital was full of eye candies and I had a ball time checking them out. One good thing about being a patient is that cute doctors are bound to smile at you and make small talk.
At times she felt the need to put on a brave face, if not for herself then for close ones around her.
Some days, I would be low feeling the patches and scars of chemotherapy – the dull face, bald head, the physical weakness cancer brings... The other times, I would lay awake the entire night unable to tell my family that my body hurt, really hurt. But every morning I would get up and eat, and put on my beautiful clothes and earrings and head to office.
When her cancer relapsed three months after she had been declared cancer-free, Gulati took it personally.
I must admit my ego was hurt. Just when I thought I battled cancer or as my friends quoted, “She kicked Cancer’s ass,” it returned. The basic rule in a war is to never underestimate the enemy.
Gulati told herself her that life had thrown the relapse her way because she had a lesson to learn.
Life wanted me to be happy – something I did not learn during my first stint with cancer. So, it gave me cancer again. So that I could learn to be happy, to laugh at myself, to accept my circumstances and not be too affected by them, to let go.
Her friends and colleagues from the industry lamented her death, but respected her immense courage and undying spirit. In all of their tributes, the one thing that stands out was her love for journalism.
After her first relapse, Gulati said she wasn’t a “quitter” and that she was going to “die fighting.”
Even after the cancer struck for the second time, she stuck to her guns, and left the battlefield against cancer as a winner.
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