Marriamal, India

I have witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of cancer, having lost my brother to leukemia at just 16. Initially misdiagnosed and treated for malaria and typhoid, by the time he was correctly diagnosed, it was too late—he had only two months left, yet he fought bravely till the end. My father later suffered from lung cancer, and my mother battled bladder cancer, both of whom I lost to this relentless disease.

I know how deeply cancer drains a family—not just financially but emotionally and in every possible way. Yet, despite the pain and loss, I have not given up. I continue to do whatever little I can to support cancer patients, hoping to make a difference in their fight.

May we one day see the development of a vaccine administered at birth, ensuring that no one has to endure the suffering that cancer brings.