She didn’t let her personal setback stop her from striving. Meet the dynamic Neelam Kumar who is not only surviving, but thriving on life and giving back to society. Many others would see their world tumbling down if they had to battle cancer, but not her. The recipient of numerous awards, Neelam has penned an inspirational book, To Cancer, With Love — My Journey of Joy.
The author says, “It’s not limited to cancer alone. It’s about every struggle — each person’s struggle with various issues such as financial, relationship, or illness of loved ones. I wanted to share my happy ending with those who feel hopeless. I’m confident that my journey will inspire others and fill their hearts with hope.”
She adds, “Also, my biggest take-away has been the immense potential and resilience a human being possesses. Just connect with your highest self and look inside for courage, compassion, wisdom. If we do some sincere ‘inner gardening’ and what we call ‘human revolution,’ we will be surprised at the amazing resources that exist within our mortal flesh. It has a very powerful foreword by noted actress Manisha Koirala who has gone through cancer herself.”
Manisha Koirala has written, “Neelam has come out of this struggle stronger and wiser than before. I love how well Neelam managed to inject humour into her grave scenario. This speaks volumes about her strength. We must take this as an inspiration.”
Neelam is many women rolled into one. “I conduct training programmes on communication and soft skills under my banner ‘9 to 5 corporate lounge — The training hub’ and also conduct workshops on ‘How to write your book in 6 easy steps’. I like to call myself a cancer beater rather than a cancer survivor. Just look at the gifts I got — curly hair (earlier it was poker straight), new cells, a perspective as vast as the ocean, a compassion as deep as the sea and a whacky sense of humour,” states Neelam with a never-say-die spirit.
Reminiscing on her journey, she adds, “I was brought up in Russia as both my parents were working there. I went on to write five books, including one with Khushwant Singh. I was fortunate to receive an award from Rotary Foundation, Illinois, USA, as the Rotary ambassador of goodwill. It enabled me to complete my Master’s from USA. “I have led an action-filled life during which I have faced the challenges of widowhood, single parenting, financial hardships, relationship breakdowns and communication deadlocks.
When I was diagnosed with cancer a second time, I began to deal with the battle inside me. In my strong side, I discovered this gorgeous, long-haired, fun and fearless girl called Carol. She became my inspiration throughout my rough journey. She caught hold of my hand and said, ‘C’mon honey! It’s only life — nobody gets out of it alive anyway, so let’s rock it and show everyone the stuff you’re made of!’
“One chapter of my book is titled Love in the time of cancer. It was in the corridors of Tata Memorial Hospital that I witnessed raw human drama and realised the true gravity of those simple words ‘I love you’. I now propose that each couple who necks and pets each other before marriage should compulsorily be brought to this hospital to understand the true meaning of love.”
