“Lucky survivor” Ballesteros launches cancer foundation to help fellow sufferers

MADRID - Spanish golf legend Severiano Ballesteros on Thursday launched his cancer foundation, which is aimed at helping cancer sufferers as well as aspiring golfers from poor backgrounds.

“I want to do my bit to battle this disease,” said Ballesteros at the official launch of his Madrid-based foundation.

Ballesteros, 52, who won the British Open on three occasions and the U.S. Masters twice, is currently recovering from a brain tumour that was diagnosed in October 2008.

He needed four operations, and just last week finished his sixth session of chemotherapy in Madrid as he continues to recover from the illness.

“I am a lucky man and my desire is to help others. My message is that there is no secret to life at all. What you have to do is fight and fight and fight and not give up and in the end you will be a winner,” Xinhua quoted Ballesteros, as saying.

Nevertheless, the former golfer admitted that he had been fortunate to survive.

“I have been given a second chance in life and not everyone gets one and so now I am in a position where I can contribute my grain of sand. I want to be able to contribute to the investigation against cancer so that one day in the future the experts can solve this serious problem,” Ballesteros said

“These days I am a much better person, because the doctors took all of the badness from my head,” he added. (ANI)