KOCHI: Life has not been a bed of roses for actor Saranya Sasi who has been battling a rare form of brain tumour since 2012. She was bed-ridden since April following a surgery. However, her sheer determination, boosted by the help and motivation of her friends is helping her walk back into life.
“Saranya is a very smart and active person. So, it was tough seeing her helpless and bed-ridden,” said Seema G Nair, cine-serial actor. According to her, Saranya was diagnosed with a brain tumour after she fainted at a shooting set in 2012. “She was rushed to Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology and was immediately operated upon,” said Seema.
“However, that was just the beginning,” she remembers. “Unlike other tumours, the one that Saranya had had more chances of recurring. So, the very next year, the tumour came back and she had to undergo surgery again,” said Seema. She adds that it may be rare for a person to undergo 10 surgeries (eight to remove the brain tumour and two to remove growths in her thyroid). “All eight brain surgeries were done by Dr Mathew Abraham of Sree Chitra Hospital,” she added. In the beginning, Saranya’s treatment cost was met by friends and Association Of Television Media Artistes (ATMA).
“However, when the frequency of surgeries increased, it became tough to keep asking them for money. I had been there with her since the start of her treatment and even I was finding it difficult to shell out fund,” said Seema. It was then that Seema talked to Saranya about reaching out to people via social media to raise fund. “We reached out to Sooraj Palakaran, who helped us out by presenting Saranya’s struggles before the world,” said Seema, who is also associated with the NGO Thanal. However, that was not enough, so they reached out to Firoz Kunnumpurambil.
Firoz fetched them Rs 25 lakh. Saranya had been taken to Bengaluru for a radiation treatment that guaranteed complete recovery. “However, the tumour came back and she had to undergo her seventh surgery which left her paralysed on her right side,” said Seema. Following the thyroid surgery, Saranya also gained a lot of weight. “But I didn’t like seeing her bed-ridden and helpless at her rented house in Thiruvananthapuram. So I brought her to my house in Vyttila. I thought a change of scene might cheer her up a little,” said Seema who then contacted Sabid Ummer of Peace Valley.
“Sabid then directed us contact the managing director of the hospital, P M Abubacker. As per his instructions, Saranya was shifted to the hospital where she underwent physiotherapy sessions for six hours a day. She booted out misgivings and after rigorous therapy, began walking on her own, with just a little support,” said Seema. Saranya’s face glowed as she walked back into Seema’s house in Vyttila on October 3 after completing her treatment at Peace Valley. She is now looking forward to living in the new house being constructed for her and her family in Thiruvananthapuram.