Life throws us many curve balls. It’s hard to keep up sometimes, but there are true fighters in life who, after the storm, sail blissfully into the sunrise. Ramiro is a perfect example of perseverance, courage and positivity.
Ramiro Mallia is a fighter. At the tender age of 2 years and 9 months, he was diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo a series of treatments and chemotherapy to get to get through it. At such a young age, he had to face the ups and downs of battling cancer but with the help and support of Puttinu Cares, the “hardest battles” he had to fight were overcome.
“I managed to overcome a lot of difficult obstacles as Puttinu Cares provided me with the treatment and chemo I needed. I had a lot of time on my hands and I didn’t waste any minute!”
Ramiro was young when he spent his days undergoing treatment and, much like any child, he craved human contact and some escapism. The “nurses were so patient with me. I always wanted to play with them and they always went along with my games! I spent a lot of my time drawing and had the time to spend with my family and friends. I used to live a very different lifestyle than what I’m doing now.”
Dealing with such a diagnosis and accepting it are two very different factors for such a young boy. “I get asked about the highs and lows of cancer a lot, and to be honest, when I was a young boy, I only used to think about the lows. I wasn’t OK with the fact that I was not like other children - I wanted to go to school with them. I felt distant from my brothers and I did not want to lose my hair. These were the lowest points for me.”
But, as time went by, Ramiro grew, understood his condition and ultimately started to look at it from another perspective. “I got to meet and be part of another family through the hospitals and treatment centres I visited. I also grew much closer to my loved ones. I realised that, without them, I wouldn’t be where I am now,” he says.
“I still remember it like it was yesterday. I received the news I thought I’d never hear with my own ears! On the 3rd of November 2007, I was told that I could stop my medication. I didn’t know what to think or feel but the tears in my family’s eyes meant everything I worked so hard for paid off. All that dedication to my health and perseverance to beat cancer resulted in the best day of my life.”
Ramiro’s life transformed overnight and much like his ‘all-clear’, a spell of inspiration came to him out of the blue in 2015. “I woke up one day with the idea of doing something unusual for my birthday. I decided to create a Fun Run and Swim with a couple of friends. I wanted to collect donations where all proceeds would be donated to Puttinu Cares. That was one special birthday present.”
The event was a huge success so he decided to start up a small group called Ramiro & Friends where Ramiro and his friends try their very best to organise yearly events for people facing the same health issues that he did in his early years. “We also help NGOs. Ramiro & Friends is not only about me. I have a group of people behind me who make all of this possible. I truly thank everyone who does their part in our community - there is always hope. Life is all about the ups and downs but you’ve got to have faith. And, remember, once you have courage, half the battle is already won.”