“Cancer” is the story of Kian’s life, a homosexual man living in the United States who has faced many ups and downs to reach his goals.
He navigated a winding road, fought cancer on his own, and eventually overcame the disease. He reached the point of complete despair but returned to life.
Kian spent 33 years of his life as a homosexual man in Iran. His childhood story mirrors that of many other homosexual individuals in Iran, where they grew up in an ignorant, religious, and toxic environment. But the real story begins when one steps into the larger world - for Kian, that world was school.
Hearing Kian’s story not only recounts the experiences of a homosexual man facing immense challenges in Iran, but it is also a tale of courage, strength, and perseverance.
It’s a story of daily battles with life, sexual orientation, migration, and illness. His physical and emotional struggles taught me a valuable lesson in resilience: that we must live life as fully as we can, rise again if we fall, and keep moving forward, even when we’re exhausted.
From the moment Kian entered school, he felt different. Not only did the other children mock him, but the school staff and teachers joined in as well. His family’s sensitivity toward him increased gradually as they tried to make him conform to the behavior of other boys, but he wasn’t like them.
The feeling of being different and alienated is a common experience for members of the LGBTQ+ community. As they grow older, the contrast between who they truly are and what society, family, and religion try to impose on them becomes more evident.
During Kian’s youth, many homosexual men were often forced to marry women to gain acceptance from society and family. If not, ending one’s life seemed like the only solution. But Kian refused to accept this bitter fate and chose to leave his homeland.
Eleven months after arriving in the U.S., a colonoscopy revealed that he had cancer, and the tumor was so large that the doctor estimated his chances of survival were only 50-50. Coming from a culture where cancer was often seen as a death sentence, Kian believed his life was over. In Iran, he had rarely seen cancer survivors.
Despite this, he decided to pursue treatment. Chemotherapy and daily radiotherapy began, as the tumor had grown to the size of a tennis ball.
After two months of treatment, the test results were astonishing. The doctors said, “In medical science, we don’t believe in miracles, but one has happened.” The tumor had nearly disappeared, and surgery was no longer necessary.
When Kian received the results, he cried with joy - joy that he could live, joy that he had fought and survived, joy that he had been given a second chance to live and pursue his dreams.
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