Determined is probably an apt description of Navi Indran Pillai who beat cancer not once but two times in her life.
The brave and spirited 29-year-old from Shah Alam, Selangor was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013 when she was only 22.
Her dreams, one of which was to become a classical indian dancer, had to be put on hold as she underwent aggressive treatments to battle the illness.
She beat the disease in 2014 and left to further her studies in Australia.
In 2018 however, Navi found out that she had metastatic breast cancer that had spread to her liver and backbone and so began another round of treatments that almost broke her. Though the treatments were debilitating, Navi was determined to get better.
Navi is better now – and cancer-free – but she has to undergo lifelong treatment to stay well. The treatments are costly and so, to ease her family’s financial burden, the gutsy young woman is taking to the stage, with guidance from her guru, Guruvayur Usha Dorai, to dance.
The student of Indian classical dance hopes to raise funds through her performance to help her parents pay for her treatment.
Her dance performance, Dhanvantrim Nruthyam #kissedbycancer, will take place on 12 Oct at the Shantanand Auditorium, Temple of Fine Arts, Kuala Lumpur. – The Star