Comedian and actor Johnny Lever, known for his iconic comic timing, recently opened up about a difficult chapter in his life. In an interview, he revealed that his son Jesse was diagnosed with a tumour at the age of 10. With doctors in India advising against surgery and losing hope, the situation became deeply challenging. However, Johnny shared that just when things seemed bleak, his son found an unexpected second chance at recovery.
Johnny Lever reveals son Jesse was diagnosed with tumour at 10, says Indian doctors advised against surgery
Speaking on former actor Kunickaa Sadanand’s podcast, Johnny Lever recalled the early stages of his son’s diagnosis. He shared, “My son developed a knot on his neck, and he went through several types of treatment, including an operation, but they couldn’t remove the tumour because it was intertwined with nerves. They warned me that they cannot operate, as my son risks losing his eyesight or getting paralysed. I saw my son lying on the hospital bed, with the cut still open. They gave us medication to melt the tumour, and my son used to take 40-50 pills each day, but it didn’t work, and the tumour just kept growing.”
Johnny shared how helpless he felt during that time, admitting that he told his son he would do everything possible as a father, but he wasn’t God and couldn’t cure the tumour. Recalling the emotional toll, he said, “He was barely 12 years old, and kids in his school used to make fun of him. I did everything for him during that time, bought him whatever he wanted, and took him wherever he wanted to go. We all went on this trip to the US, and we were in Jersey. We all decided to go to a church, and there a priest was walking back from the altar. When he crossed us, he saw Jesse and asked about the tumour. I explained to him my son’s situation, and he told me to take him to Sloan Kettering Hospital. He said, ‘God will heal him.’”
Sloan Kettering, the renowned cancer-specialist hospital where actress Nargis Dutt was once treated, became the turning point in Jesse’s journey. Despite concerns raised by doctors in India, Johnny decided to proceed with a consultation. He said, “My wife was very worried about what the doctors in India had told her, but I somehow convinced her. I had some good doctor friends in Jersey, and they suggested a doctor called Dr Jatin Shah. Even though I was not a very pious person, during that time I prayed a lot. The operation took place, and I was so engrossed in prayer that I felt as if I was in the operation theatre, and my wife thought I had gone mad. Shortly after they brought him out, he raised his left hand up and signalled to me that he was okay. They had taken the whole tumour out, and all that was left was a tiny bandage on his neck.”
After his son’s recovery, Johnny Lever gave up his bad habits and expressed gratitude to God for the second chance. Now cancer-free, Jesse is active on social media, often sharing videos of himself singing and playing instruments. Meanwhile, Johnny’s daughter Jamie has followed in his footsteps and is touring globally as a comedian.
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