'My name is Andy and I am an Indian national. It's 7 years since I found out that I had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Until then, I had been a budding weightlifter with the dream of being a national champion. But my diagnosis changed all that.

'To begin with, I was very depressed and stopped even drinking or talking to anyone. Both my legs had stopped functioning due to the illness; I could not move even a single step. My parents and brothers sat with me by my bedside around the clock. For my family and me the whole world was confined to hospital.

'But one day, I began to think differently. "Yes, my life is going to be finished, but why am I making it so difficult for my family," I thought.

'From then on I decided to fight. I began to follow a "saint's" life, meditating and eating only boiled green vegetables. Gradually, my health started improving. Once I could move my legs again my family knew that that I was getting better!

'Since then, I have completed my diploma in television journalism and now I am pursuing a Masters. My message for all cancer patients is simple: don't lose hope. This illness can be defeated.'