Abu Dhabi: When Maria found out her mother had breast cancer, she wanted to do anything she could to show her support.
And support she did, shaving off her gorgeous black tresses to give her mother company during her fight against the dreaded disease.
“I felt very bad, and wanted to help her in any way I could. And when my mum shaved her head, I felt that she was sad. I wanted to do the same but she wouldn’t let me for a long time. Now that my hair is gone, I feel like I can finally give my mother some support in her journey,” the seven-year-old from India told Gulf News.
Her courage has been highlighted at her school in Dubai, and her mother, Elizabeth Abraham, a 42-year-old mother of three in Dubai, says proudly that her daughters’ support has proved to be invaluable.
“I was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer last June, and it was a real shock to me. I had always been healthy and my family never had a history of cancer. It was just as unexpected a piece of news for my husband as well. But our daughters gave us strength, and encouraged us to believe that we could win this fight,” Abraham said.
In fact, Abraham says it was her daughters, 18-year-old Elsa and 13-year-old Sara, who insisted that their mother get checked for breast cancer.
“I had been noticing that the size of my breasts was different, and I found a painful lump after a self-examination. Most of my friends said it was normal to have differently sized breasts, and that a lump that was painful was most likely not a sign of cancer,” she said.
“But my elder daughters urged me not to take it lightly. They kept pestering me till I went in for a mammogram, and even then, the doctors said these anomalies were the results of a hormonal imbalance. It was only after I approached a specialist surgeon that my cancer was detected, and it had already spread locally by then,” Abraham explained.
“I had grown up hearing so much about breast cancer, so even though my initial reaction was to tell my mum everything was all right, it didn’t sit well with me. That’s when I urged her to get another check,” Elsa said.
Abraham has now finished her chemotherapy, and undergone breast removal and reconstruction surgeries. She is now undergoing radiation therapy in India, while her three daughters continue their schooling and education in Dubai.
“They have managed so well on their own. I could not even celebrate their birthdays with them, yet they have never made me feel bad about it. I cannot imagine going through this battle alone, and I can say that I have had the best support from my family and friends,” Abraham said.
In the meantime, little Maria’s hair has slowly begun to grow back.
“She wanted to shave it all off again. This time, I refused,” Abraham said.
“I will win this fight against the c-cells, as I call my cancer, and I will make it to see many more sunrises in my lifetime,” she added.
