AKASH DUBE – AN OBITUARY

AKASH DUBE – AN OBITUARY

Why am I writing an obituary about a boy who I have never known or met? Today when I sat down to read the newspaper in the morning, the first thing that really struck me, (after all the newspapers do not carry anything new, you can predict what it is going to be like since you have already seen the TV channels) was the headline which read ‘Boy behind the Terry Fox Run Dead’. Then I recollected that my daughter had often talked about him, and how he had organised the Terry Fox run at IIT Madras. He had joined the Biotechnology Department at IIT department not as a regular student but more like an intern in the Cancer Biology Section where my daughter is doing her Phd. This was facilitated for him by IIT as he was undergoing treatment at Chennai for Cancer and was eager to know and contribute to the cause. He was very young, only eighteen but was a quick and eager learner. It was when he was undergoing treatment at Chennai, he first organised the Terry Fox run in the IIT, a six kilometre walk inside the  campus, with the help of the authorities.

Who was Terry Fox? I looked up the Wikipedia and I reproduce what is written there, here below -

“Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox CC OD, (July 28, 1958 – June 28, 1981) was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 mi), and ultimately cost him his life, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy. The annual Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is now the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research; over C$500 million has been raised in his name.”

When he went to the US after the treatment here, he joined as a freshman at Stanford University. He was present here whenever the Terry Fox run was organised, three consecutive years from 2009. He was hopeful of returning again as he was responding to the treatment well. He was suffering from Lymphoblastic Leukemia. His cancer relapsed in December 2011 and as per the newspaper reports he fought long and hard for five months before he was overcome by the disease. It appears he had told his doctors that if he was going down he would go down fighting and volunteered to be put on a trial drug. He put up a heroic fight right till the end in the face of extreme agony.

Terry Fox was twenty three when he died, Akash was only twenty. He had drawn inspiration from Terry Fox in his fight against Cancer. The runs organised by him collected about Rs. 50 lakhs which was donated for Cancer Research to the Tata Memorial Cancer Centre in Mumbai. One is reminded of other exceptional people Randy Pausch, who in his ‘Last Lecture talks about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment, because time is all you have and you may find one day that you have less than you think.’

Akash was no exception. We can only marvel at the tremendous maturity that he had achieved, that to by the age of twenty and could stare death in the face and say I am not afraid. He had lived an authentic life. I was told by my daughter that he used to undergo the chemo session at the hospital in the morning and come to the lab in the afternoon. The physically taxing chemo sessions did not come in the way of his commitment to his work. My daughter says that despite him being very much younger than all the people in her lab, they learnt the value of life and the strength and commitment that is required in cancer research. He would remain a source of inspiration to all of them.

It was necessary for me write down all of this and now I feel I know him despite having never met him. He represents the indomitable nature of the human spirit. How I wish that we can make our life as authentic as his. May be we are too comfortable in our situations.

Akash had the tremendous support and love of his parents and his brother in his endeavours. They would miss him immensely but I am sure they will embark on the path he has shown them and continue to translate his dreams to reality.

May his soul rest in eternal peace.

gssubbu