When you meet Aman Patel, he will remind you of a regular 17-year-old from Mumbai. But that has not always been the case with him.
"Three years ago, I was in a hospital bed with poison flowing through my veins. I was struggling to eat normal food. I was afraid to push my body too far," Aman says, as he reads an excerpt from his debut book A Man's Story.
In the pandemic, Aman was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. It started off with the 'deepest fatigue he ever felt', weird blood counts, bone marrow testing and later a diagnosis that probably shattered his parents, but not Aman. His first reaction to knowing about the condition he was suffering from was 'okay'. Because, 'sometimes, acceptance isn't dramatic. It's a understanding that this is just another chapter. Not the end of the journey'.
"It wasn't anything life-changing and to be honest, the feeling hasn't entirely sunk in yet. I am still in shock four years later. But, for me, it was about quiet acceptance."
The unusual wish of writing a book
Today, Aman considers himself to be just a student who has gone through a disease.
A student of the Cathedral and John Connon School, he is to appear for his 12th standard exams and will apply to colleges for his further studies.
On July 25, Aman Patel’s wish to launch his very own book came true. Hosted at Crossword, Kemps Corner, the event in association with Make-My-Wish marked the beginning of this young storyteller’s journey.
"I had written this book but wanted it to have a greater reach. I wanted to help people to reach the 13-year-old version of myself. I wish I had this book around the time of my diagnosis. The stuff you find online are overtly inspirational or very tragic. It doesn't explain the day-to-day life of what it actually means to be a 13-year-old child to go through something as dreadful as cancer.
"Childhood cancer is horrifying and I hope this book reaches any child who is going through a similar experience. With this book, I want them to be seen and feel heard. That's why I named it A Man's Story. It is not just mine, it can be anybody's," he explains.
The book launch at Crossword Book Store, Kemps Corner, Mumbai. |
Empathy not sympathy is what he seeks
Aman's friends came to cheer for him at the book launch and nothing about him or his journey suggests that it had an iota of low spirits or melancholy.
"I always said cancer is a terrible disease. But at the end of the day, it is just a disease. You take power away from it by talking about it. It doesn't have to be the end of the world. You can move on with life. My honest thought was that it is another obstacle in life; I just need to move on," notes Aman.
Were there times when he got anxious and worried about what the future held for him? "There were and are plenty of those times but the simple thought of reminding myself that I am loved helped me," he says. "I have family and friends who treat me like any other person and not someone who needs pity. I don't want sympathy, but empathy. Treat me like any other."
Aman poses with his family at the book launch. |
How the book took shape
"I had a bad case of insomnia," reveals Aman. "At night, when I had nothing to do, I would rewatch shows and later have conversations with myself because I got so bored watching the same old stuff.
"Eventually I started to pen my thoughts down and when I was clearing my desk out, I found those papers. I thought perhaps I could turn it into a book."
Aman has consciously kept his book to just a 54-page read because he wants the person reading it to be able to finish it in a day.
"I don't want to drag it out," he admits. "I want to make it seem simple and not overwhelming. For me, it was a simple thing. It was a disease and I wanted to overcome it. But I understand, reading about cancer and my journey could be triggering to someone else."
A message for other children suffering from cancer
"I wanted to capture how I felt at that time. I didn't want to sit and delve on something I could not control," shares Aman. His message to other children experiencing a similar fate is to not overthink the situation.
"You got to think positive. If not positive, just think about anything that can make your mind work.
"Do not mope in the sadness. Realize what you want to do, and have that conversation with anyone you are close to. For me, it was my parents. For you, it can be just about anyone. Understand that you are not alone and without hope you cannot live. So stay hopeful and positive," he suggests.
The one person (two in this case) Aman turns to when things get tough are his parents. "My mom was so concerned when I showed no hysteria that she went out of her way to ask the school counsellor to check if I was okay.
"The main focal point of the book is that one can have cancer, but still live a very normal, regular life. You are not some outcast or special case. You are just another human being."
CEO of Make-A-Wish India Dhruv Pandey unveils the book. |
Rediscovering his normal
Post his recovery, returning to school for the first time for his eight grade final exams was a surreal experience for Aman because he "was waiting and waiting to get back to normal" and meet all his friends.
"I realized the disease didn't matter, but the friends I made along the way did. I just wanted to get back to normal and as soon as I got to know that I am not some special person, and am just like everyone else, it enlightened me."
"There was a time when I used to keep getting a lot of curious thoughts in my mind and I'd keep asking questions to everyone, especially the chemo nurse and the dietary nurse. I would literally harass them with my queries. But now we fondly look back at the progress we made," he adds with a smile.
Make-A-Wish India’s Founder Uday Joshi wishes Aman success on his storytelling journey. |
A voracious reader, a swimmer and MMA fanatic
As a kid, Aman was a Harry Potter fan. "I read it so many times that I started spotting plot holes as a kid."
He swims, love playing sports, trains MMA on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and is presently very busy with school work.
His favourite authors are JK Rowling and Paulo Coelho, but right now Aman is occupied reading all his textbooks.
"Whenever I have the time to spare, I scan the books I read as a child. Amazing Space fueled my passion for learning. I found it so fascinating. My parents have preserved all the books I read as a child including Diary of a Wimpy Kid to The Heroes of Olympus, the Harry Potter series and Percy Jackson books."
