Irfan Pathan, Mahela Jayawardene cheer up teenage cancer patient

For 17-year-old Lisha, it was a dream come true. The class XII student, who is undergoing treatment for Osteosarcoma (bone cancer), could not believe that two of her favourite cricketers Irfan Pathan and Mahela Jayawardene had come to meet her here on Monday.

Lisha, who hails from a small village in Meerut, is undergoing chemo-therapy at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj in east Delhi.

She was pleasantly surprised when the two Daredevils Pathan and Jayawardene took some time off and paid her a visit.

Lisha spent a good time with the players, discussing her hobbies and how she adores watching cricket. Pathan and Jayawardene presented her with cricket memorabilia.

Even though for a while, but the light hearted conversation with the players indeed took away from her the reality of being afflicted with cancer at such a young age.

Harit Chaturvedi, director, Surgical Oncology, Max Healthcare, said: "Surviving cancer and living with it is a fight in itself. We, at Max Healthcare, salute the courage and the fighting spirit of Lisha.

"It is necessary for a child with cancer to function in a normal environment, go to school and continue with daily activities. She deserves to celebrate life and what better way than to meet her favourite cricketers, Irfan Pathan & Mahela Jayawardene."

In India, out of eight lakh cancer patients diagnosed annually, about 80-120 cases per million are of childhood cancers.