A man who had his left arm amputated at the elbow after he contracted cancer at 13, has rebuilt his life with the help of a prosthetic limb that he got nine years later.
Debraj Chatterjee, 28, runs a cyber cafe and holds painting classes for children in his hometown of Berachampa, about 20km from Barasat in North 24-Parganas.
He underwent treatment at Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre & Research Institute in Thakurpukur. Chatterjee still visits the hospital to speak to the young patients and their parents, giving them hope by citing his own example.
“I have gone through the pain that many children and their loved ones face after being diagnosed with cancer. Perhaps, when young cancer patients see me, a cancer survivor, standing in front of them, it gives them confidence and helps them look at things more positively,” said Chatterjee.
Be it Children’s Day, Christmas or World Cancer Day, Chatterjee is there at the hospital with his paintings.
A tumour on his left palm was diagnosed as cancerous and an amputation down the elbow was essential.
Debraj Chatterjee at Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre & Research Institute in Thakurpukur earlier this year. The Telegraph
“I had to bear excruciating pain for six months while being treated at Barasat. It was only at the Thakurpukur hospital that the doctors diagnosed it as cancer. When I regained consciousness after the surgery, I tried to see whether my hand was amputated but it was covered with bandages. The relief for me was that the pain was gone,” he said.
Chatterjee said the news of cancer can be devastating for families.
“I keep telling the young cancer patients and their parents that at present technological advancements have improved cancer treatment and it is as much curable as any other disease. It can be time-taking and one has to be mentally strong during that period,” he said.
After the amputation, he could not play cricket or football. “But I continued to draw. I was told in the hospital that I could pursue a career in arts,” he said.
He qualified in visual arts from Rabindra Bharati University.
“Initially, I was shy and people in the neighbourhood would treat me differently because I looked different. But gradually I overcame my shyness and in the final year of my graduation I got a prosthetic limb,” he said.
The director of Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre & Research Institute, Arnab Gupta, said that he uses Chatterjee’s case as an example to inspire other patients and their families.
“The survivors are real motivators. They are a source of courage for other patients. Survivors help patients believe that cancer is curable. We encourage survivors to tell their stories and how they came out of the hardship,” said Gupta.
Chatterjee had undergone treatment on subsidy because his father, a priest, did not make a lot of money from his vocation.
In 2017, the hospital arranged for a donor to give Chatterjee a new limb.
Chatterjee started the cyber cafe in 2019.
“Running a cyber cafe is difficult, there’s a lot of competition but I try to manage. My prosthetic limb is not functioning as it used to. The makers are trying to detect the problem. I have to save some money in case it needs repairs,” he said.
“My friends would often complain about their struggles in life. I try to motivate them by asking is your problem bigger than mine? Don’t give up the fight,” said Chatterjee.