Blog

April 1, 2020

By Anne Dabbs, 
NCAN TN Chapter Leader, NET Patient

Early this morning, as the news outlets reported the passing of actor Irrfan Khan, I was immediately drawn to my recollections of his twitter account in March 2018 in which he disclosed his Neuroendocrine Cancer diagnosis.

“Sometimes you wake up with a jolt with life shaking you up… In trying times, please don’t speculate… Till then, wish the best for me!”

By June 2018, he shared more details of his diagnosis, confirming speculation that his Neuroendocrine Cancer was indeed a High Grade Neuroendocrine Carcinoma. Our collective NETs Community began to follow his media accounts more closely. It is an odd and lonely feeling to publicly share a cancer diagnosis. Not everyone can do it; not everyone is comfortable being so exposed. Not every patient can face the stares and questions which follow a incurable disease disclosure. Not everyone can address the research, education, and advocacy you must develop to successfully embrace a rare disease diagnosis. And yet, here was Irrfan Khan, at a high point of his acting career, sharing publicity and passionately his story which was certain to contain a poor prognosis.

The Times of India published his “A Note from London”, written while he was hospitalized for treatment in 2018. There, he talked about his fears, his concerns, his intentions, and then his absolute realization of this unpredictable turn his life had taken. And in that realization, he shared: “For the first time, I felt what ‘freedom’ truly means. It felt like an accomplishment. As if I was tasting life for the first time, the magical side of it.”
I cannot help but wonder if his admission of this unwelcome guest in his body, his research of his disease and those most capable of treating it somehow aided him in his acceptance of his fate. In February 2020, he shared a statement to accompany the release of his now final film, in which he concluded, “And we always have the choice to stay positive.”

And that is how I shall remember Irrfan Khan most of all. As an accomplished actor to be sure, but more importantly, as a wise man who realized that the life he had envisioned was not going to be played out as he had intended. One who surrendered his expectations into a realization that life IS what you make it.

We at Neuroendocrine Cancer Awareness Network extend our deepest condolences to the family of Irrfan Khan along with a genuine and heartfelt appreciation for bringing public awareness to Neuroendocrine Cancer.

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Disclaimer: NCAN blog posts are the opinions of its writers and are not intended as a replacement for medical advice. Please consult your Health Care Providers for individual concerns.