After 15 Years Of Fighting, Alex May Lose To Cancer Without Help

Youngsters usually make life-changing decisions at the age of 19. Fresh out of high school, they are brimming with ideas and hopes for their future. 19-year-old Alex Boban is no exception. Despite lying in a hospital bed after battling severe blood cancer for the third time, he is sure that he will become a bank manager one day. In his own words, “Hopes are bigger than cancer.”

He was only 4 then, but the excruciating pain didn’t bother him

“Alex was born healthy. I did not have any unusual problems in my pregnancy either. When he was 4 years-old, he complained of a sharp pain in his legs. He could not walk properly and even developed a fever. We took him to many doctors, but they were not able to tell us what was wrong. Finally, a bone marrow test revealed that he had blood cancer. He was only 4. He was still a baby,” says Moli, his mother.

 
“We had to start chemotherapy immediately and the cancer centre was more than 250 km away. So my husband and I, along with Alex, relocated to Thiruvananthapuram from our hometown Adimali, leaving our 3-year-old daughter with her grandma. Meanwhile Alex used to go to school like a normal child. He never cared about the medicines, the pain or the fatigue. He was always pleasant despite his grave illness,” she adds.

“I just want to go to school every day”

After a couple of years, the worst happened; he had a cancer relapse. Alex was in class 7 and had undergone two years of treatment already. His parents, Moli and Boban, had believed that their son was completely cured. This was a rude bolt from the blue for them.  “We had plans of shifting back to our hometown as frequent tests showed that Alex was okay. But he complained of the same sharp pain in his legs and was not able to move. When we learnt that Alex got cancer again, we were speechless. But Alex was never worried. Not even once. He was only bothered about his studies. He used to tell me, “Amma, I will suffer any pain. I just want to go to school every day.” So even though it was difficult, both mentally and financially, we made sure he went to school every day.

Cancer split this loving family and made a mother choose between her children

The family had exhausted all their savings by then. Alex’s father, Boban, had a small family-owned business which he had to give up because of constantly being on the run to get Alex treated. He even suffered a stroke in between, which slowed him down further. “We even sold our ancestral home as the expenses were staggering. We had to take a house for rent, get expensive medicines and take care of household expenses on our meagre savings -- we could bear anything but staying away from our daughter was very hard. She has been living with her grandparents ever since Alex’s diagnosis. I have never been able to take care of one child because the other was going through a life-and-death situation. It is the worst thing a mother can do – choosing between her children,” laments Moli.

Alex had to miss his 12th boards because of the killer disease

Following treatment after the second relapse, cancer seemed to have disappeared from their lives. Alex had scored 80% in his class 10 boards and class 11 annual examinations. The family was elated as he seemed healthy and happy. But that happiness did not last long either. “My son chose the commerce stream because he was good in accounts and finance. Many years of his life had been filled with pain and stress, but he was focused on his interests all along. He had just entered class 12 and was going to school as usual when he got sick again. I started crying loudly as soon as the doctor told me this bitter truth. But Alex is the one who calmed me down. He said, ‘Amma, if I have beat cancer all these years, I can do it again.’ His positive words gave me strength.” This mother has vowed to rest only after her son is completely cured of cancer.


Despite his pain, Alex is the one who consoles his grieving mother

How you can help

Alex is currently undergoing advanced chemotherapy. He needs a stem cell transplant to be completely alright. His 18-year-old sister is a match and the doctors say that this surgery has to be conducted at the earliest or Alex will not survive. The chemo is slowing down his body, but not his spirit. His parents, Moli and Boban have given away everything that they had and have even taken loans to pay for his treatment. But they cannot afford this expensive surgery.

Your small contribution can help Alex survive another day.