Rajasthan girl battling brain tumour wins Rs 50 lakh in KBC & big hope | Jaipur News – Times of India

JAIPUR: It was not long after Sawai Madhopur’s Nareshi Meena had cracked the sub-inspector recruitment exam that she was diagnosed with a brain tumour that she was told could not be operated upon. That was 2018. Meena was told the only fix to her medical condition was a procedure she could ill afford. It might have broken many tough minds, but Meena was unfazed.
In the six years that followed her diagnosis, Meena, now 27, never gave up hope.A farmer’s daughter, she began collecting, bit-by-bit, cash that she told TOI she was stacking up for her surgery ‘one day’. And in the meantime, the Rajasthan Administrative Services aspirant also began studying up for a stab at ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ Hot Seat.
It looked like a distant, if not impossible dream from where she was in Enda village. But only last week, Meena not only made her way to Mumbai and that coveted ‘Hot Seat’, but she also won Rs 50 lakh. And that was not all. The story of her struggles shone through, and even before she won the prize money, Meena received a promise from the show’s host, Amitabh Bachchan, that he would fund the proton therapy she needed to surgically remove her tumour.
So when Meena returned to her village on Friday, it was to a heroine’s welcome. The women of her community sang and celebrated not only beacause of the prize money she won, but also to applaud her undaunted spirit.
Speaking to TOI about her journey, Meena said, “I was told that proton therapy is rare in India and only three hospitals in India have this facility. It costs around Rs 25 lakh. So, I dropped the idea and started working as a supervisor in the women empowerment department. I thought I would save money and one day I would get this therapy.”
In the meanwhile, while preparing for competitive exams and soaking in information from newspapers, books, Meena thought of trying for KBC. So much so that Meena dropped her RAS (Mains) exam in the month of July.
“I got selected and Big B sir made me very comfortable. He told me that regardless of what I do on the show, he will help me with my treatment,” she said.
Meena wants to prepare for RAS exam
Though she returned with Rs 50 lakh and the promise of treatment, Meena said Bachchan did not stop checking in on her well-being. “Even after the show, Bachchan sir’s team contacted me and asked us to identify a hospital and doctor for the proton therapy, for him to take care of the expenses. I bow my head with folded hands to him for this gesture. A private hospital in Chennai has this facility, and we have spoken to the doctor there as well,” she added.
True to her style, her health condition has not come in the way of work. Meena works as a supervisor at the women’s empowerment department, educating young girls and women about govt’s social welfare policies tailored for them. “I tell everyone to study. Sooner or later, it will help,” she said.
Meena now plans to undergo the medical procedure and prepare for the RAS (Mains) exam she missed.”The tumour had created issues with my vision. I had frequent headaches. I hope my therapy goes well so I can live a normal life and start preparing for the RAS (Mains),” she said.