friendsofmax.info

Soorina Arora, Mumbai

It so happens many a times in life; that we stumble upon some beautiful opportunities purely by chance. I always wanted to contribute in however small a way to a good cause. I had to merely think this thought and God placed me in front of Viji. I would never have imagined that Viji who conducted the launch of my first book Anamika, was such a revered human being. She is so unassuming and conducted the launch with such ease that I presumed she was professionally trained for the same. It came as a great surprise when I realized that she had another truly noble calling. Be it a book launch or a great cause Viji can perform any task and fit into it effortlessly.

It has been five years since I have been a part of the Friends of Max. Every single time that I recieve various paragraphs of the patients' fight with cancer, I am amazed at their ability to express so much in such few words. I must also say that even though one would expect it, I do not feel a sense of tragedy upon reading their words; instead I get an insight into the indestructible spirit of the human being.

The pattern of ill health, diagnosis, shock and then resilience is the same for all the patients. Yet every person's interpretation and experience is unique.I barely make any changes and even when I do so, I feel a moment of trepidation since the words they have used must be precious to them. As far as possible I concentrate only on the correction of minor details and punctuation. After all, the patients have courageously expressed a traumatic event in their lives and I ought not to tamper with their descriptions. I request them to bear with any meddling from my side in their heartfelt narratives.

The patients have widened my perspective in many ways; to treat cancer like an illness that can be overcome rather than the fearful mortal disease it is believed to be, to appreciate life's little pleasures without taking them for granted and to trust in God wholly. I want to make a special mention of the team at Max Foundation and Novartis, in India and abroad for their commendable work and their selfless service. They have not only enabled the patients to live their lives fully. They have taught them how to inspire hope instead of sympathy!

Soorina Arora lives in Mumbai with her husband and two daughters. She is an accomplished writer and poet and her work has been published in various publications, both in India and abroad. Her first novel Anamika was released in 2005 and her second novel Barefoot to Paradise, published by Macmillan has been launched recently. Soorina volunteered to edit the stories in the first little booklet that was brought out in 2005 and since then has continued to do so year after year. She is one of the dearest Friends of Max .