Unfazed by cancer, Dubai teen devotes time to touching lives

Dubai - 'At my age, no one ever thinks you have cancer'

Bibin Baldev Raj is no ordinary 17-year-old. He is a philanthropist and a recipient of a prestigious global award, among several other accomplishments.

But behind his admirable collection of accolades is a story of difficulties. Life threw a curve ball at Bibin when he was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma — a kind of cancer that grows in the bones — four years ago. He was in Grade 9 at that time.

“At my age, no one ever thinks you have cancer. When it resurfaced a few times, I sporadically felt ridding myself of academic and leadership expectations,” says Bibin.

His life changed drastically — with rigorous treatment in India leaving him with a weaker immune system and doctors advising him to skip school for a while.

With fierce determination, however, Bibin never gave up on his dreams. “Despite my condition, I started working on my profile. I participated in science-related extracurriculars and sat for competitive exams...and even earned a distinction.”

“In Grade 10, I could not attend any classes. I only went to school a few times for special classes with my teachers just before my CBSE board exams. But my condition didn’t deter me. I used to self-study sometimes from the hospital bed. I ended up being a subject topper in my school and scored 92 per cent in my board exams,” says the Grade 12 student of GEMS Our Own Indian School, Dubai.

Bibin, who is a skilled public speaker, also founded a non-profit called ‘the Smile Guild’, aiming to fight the social stigma around mental Health and uplift the overall well-being in the community.

For this initiative, Bibin and his team received the Diana Award in 2019, the second highest honour awarded to young philanthropists.