Irrfan Khan writes heartwarming note on cancer battle; celebs and fans show support
Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan has been flooded with online support from fans after writing in an open letter about his cancer treatment in London.
Khan posted on Twitter in March to say that he was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour.
In a note to The Times of India that he shared on his Twitter account today, Irrfan said he got to know that the disease was rare. Due to the unpredictability of the treatment and few study cases, he was now a part of a “trial-and-error game”, the actor said
‘It’s been quite some time now since I have been diagnosed with a high-grade neuroendocrine cancer,’ he began the note. ‘This new name in my vocabulary, I got to know, was rare, and due to fewer study cases, and less information comparatively, the unpredictability of the treatment was more. I was part of a trial-and-error game.’ He then spoke about the diagnosis and how it made him realise the fragility of life, as he described us as ‘corks floating in the ocean’. However, while he tried to be strong, he said it was while attending hospital the enormity of his position hit him, as his ward sat beside the cricket ground, Lord’s.
He surmised there is one commonality between the stadium and the hospital, being uncertainty, which, he said, ‘hit him hard’. He added: ‘All I could do was to realise my strength and play my game better.’ ‘This realisation made me submit, surrender and trust, irrespective of the outcome, irrespective of where this takes me, eight months from now, or four months from now, or two years,’ he continued. ‘The concerns took a back seat and started to fade and kind of went out of my mindspace.’ Continuing on his metaphorical meander, he said it was there he realised was ‘freedom’ meant, as he put his confidence in the cosmos, which was a massive realisation for him. He concluded: ‘A realisation that the cork doesn’t need to control the current. That you are being gently rocked in the cradle of nature.’ Fans and celebrities were touched by his words.
He wrote: ‘Sometimes you wake up with a jolt with life shaking you up. The last fifteen days, my life has been a suspense story. Little had I known that my search for rare stories would make me find a rare disease. ‘I have never given up and have always fought for my choices and always will.’
He continued by imploring that fans wish the best for him as he undergoes treatment. He wrote: ‘My family and friends are with me and we are working it out the best way possible. In trying times, please don’t speculate as I will myself share with you my story within a week – ten days, when the further investigations come with a conclusive diagnosis. Till then, wish the best for me.’
We wish Irrfan Khan a speedy recovery. Watch this space for further updates.
