While we keep talking about and meeting our dedicated FOM volunteers who attend many meetings and are very visible and very vocal there are also some others who are maybe not so vocal and outgoing – we meet them when they come to see us in our office from far away villages and each time wow us with their love and philosophical take on their precious lives.
This young man, Bishan, has been on Glivec for almost 7 years now – in his own way he has kept himself busy and grown in his simple job of a helper in a restaurant . He misses his wife and child who live with his parents up in the mountains but says he can earn so much more here so he can secure their future. His smile lights up the office and his tribute says it all ” Know your responsibilities and look after them ; the rest will follow.”
This older gentleman hails from a village 600 miles North of Mumbai but worked for many years as a gardener in a school here and was retired off a couple of years ago. He was very upset when that happened for he claims his date of birth in his records was all wrong and he has many more years of work left in him !! He went back to his village but so restless and chafed at the unproductive life he was forced to lead so returned to find any job that he could chance upon and now works as a watchman .
He too is one of our earliest GIPAP recipients and writes in his tribute that his work keeps him happy and well. We salute you Lakshman ji.
One needs courage to find the strength in ones work
That is what Ashraf wrote in his Tribute – Ashraf drives an auto rickshaw in the streets of Mumbai and anyone who knows the streets of Mumbai will know how grueling and draining that can be and will immediately want to award Ashraf the biggest award of them all . But he smilingly brushes off my admiration and compliments and says as he writes his tribute that in loving what he does he has found the strength to face his cancer .
Young Kaleshwar (with the beard) inspires his younger brother also seen in this picture with his cheerful disposition and fearless approach to his life with cancer.
He says he lavishes all his love on the little ones he teaches in his village . He is a school master .He also says courage is the only medicine . And that is within each one of us
Balbir from Amritsar on GIPAP for a long time and someone so dear to us as all of you know how our patients can become to us : ) He spent some 15 mts thinking of what to write ; made rough copies and pondered over what he wrote – all sitting in my room and finally copied it out painstakingly on the tribute card.
I so much love him this man of few soft spoken words He teaches and has just passed the Head Master exams with flying colours he says
He wrote about how CML patients are not the only ones with problems – God has blessed all his children with challenges . He and others like him are extra blessed with “Mother MAX Foundation” to look after them and give them love and guidance
: )
This here is Junior younger brother to one of our FOM volunteer leaders -not new to TMF . When he used to study abroad he was a regular contributor to our cause.- Junior is now relocated to Mumbai and stands shoulder to shoulder with his brother helping their father in their family concern . The day this picture was taken he walked in to replace his worn out Maximise wrist band and signed his tribute too ” Live Long , Live Strong . Be happy and make others happy”
Seven years ago this day his brother was diagnosed with CML.
reported by Viji Venkatesh