As healthcare professionals, we sometimes witness the most remarkable demonstrations of resilience. RBWH patient Hasitha De Silva had the odds stacked against him, but thanks to the care from the RBWH team, his fighting spirit and his spirituality, he is back doing what he loves. 

In October 2020, 39-year-old Hasitha was running on a treadmill when he had a seizure and was transported by ambulance to RBWH. Here, he was diagnosed with stage 4 Glioblastoma multiform was given just 12-14 months to survive.  

With a wife, two children aged 13 and 8, and a whole life ahead of him, Hasitha was completely shocked.  

In the coming months, he became paralysed and his left side became immovable. He was in and out of the hospital many times with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. 

“I’ve held a belief since I was a child that the universe has no problems without a solution. We just need to seek until we find the right solution. Therefore, I was very optimistic about my recovery, while appreciating the seriousness of my illness,” Hasitha said. 

 “My journey has been emotionally and mentally tough, however I did everything in my power to get better including adhering to medical advice, following spiritual believes and fully committing to physiotherapy programs.” 

Fast forward to November, Hasitha has made a remarkable recovery. He is almost back to normal and can run a few kilometres each day. His MRI scans have shown a major reduction in the size of the tumour.   

“Without the teams from neurology, neurosurgery, oncology, radiation, ED, physiotherapy, social work and brain, head and neck, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”  

Hasitha is now participating in a cycling challenge to raise funds for kids’ cancer treatment and research. You can find out more here.