Gujarat: 75-year-old fighting cancer slays Covid, now helps others defeat it

VADODARA: Yusuf Hotelwala’s family got the biggest scare of their lives when the 75-year-old, who was already waging a battle against cancer, tested positive for Covid-19 too. But that was nearly a year ago, and the septuagenarian proved to be mightier than coronavirus which he could slay with ease. Today, he is up and about helping many others recover from the grip of Covid.
“After I recovered from Covid within a week, I started getting many calls from Covid patients or their relatives. They were curious as to how I managed to defeat the virus despite being a cancer patient. So, I decided to counsel the Covid patients who approached me,” said Yusuf, who used to make a living by driving an auto.
“Most of the calls I get are from those who are suffering from serious diseases and have contracted Covid. Having heard that those with co-morbidities get severely affected by coronavirus, they want advice about food and other measures to be taken for recovery. Relatives of some of the patients also visit my house,” Hotelwala told TOI.
“I tell them to have a positive approach and eat healthy vegetarian food apart from following the other Covid guidelines. The virus does take away your energy, but a strong will to survive helped me recover quickly. Many of those who came to me for advice have recovered from Covid. I am glad I could help them during the crisis,” Hotelwala, a resident of Wadi, added.
“Yusuf uncle who gave a pep talk to my 71-year-old father who was admitted to hospital on April 2 after being infected with Covid and had very low oxygen level. Uncle gave his own example of recovery and that helped my father recover within a week and is now back home,” said Najma Lambawala, a resident of Wadi.
Hotelwala was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare type of cancer, in July 2019 and has been on chemotherapy since. When he was detected with cancer, doctors had said that he had maximum six months of life. “But I never gave up as I always had a zest for life. So, despite being infected with Covid, I was always cheerful even in the hospital,” he said.
In fact, after recovering from Covid, Hotelwala’s health has started improving and his weight has also increased. “My chemotherapy cycle has also increased from 21 days to 30 days and I feel healthier,” Hotelwala added. He ensured that his four daughters got good education before he quit being an auto driver.