In 2008 Indira felt a “blister” on her right breast, which was so small that it almost seemed insignificant. She immediately consulted her doctor hoping this would simply be another routine visit but to her surprise, after all tests were conducted she was given the devastating news that she had breast cancer.
She had to undergo a mastectomy, surgical removal of the cancerous breast, followed by a course of chemotherapy. She was shocked, but nevertheless considered herself lucky because her condition was detected early and can be effectively treated. She went through enormous amount of agony during her chemotherapy but determined as she was she continued to work from home even whilst receiving chemotherapy and only taking sick leave for a period of 10 days soon after surgery and on and off for chemotherapy. That was the determination she had in fighting the disease.
She was given the all clear after chemotherapy and was monitored annually. She then proceeded into her first pregnancy and in 2012 gave birth to daughter Thilini Nayomi Dicker – now aged 6 years.
The second pregnancy in 2015 was when her cancer re-surfaced. After multiple visits to the emergency department with pain, the hospital revealed that the cancer had spread to the liver and some of her lymph nodes. This news was unbearable. She was a mother to a young child and with the second on the way, she was determined to fight for the sake of her children.
Indira’s story then unfolds. It was reported in the Daily Mail and translated into many languages and viewed on-line by millions all over the world. She deferred treatment for her cancer until her son Dilan Levan Dicker was born in 2015. She received chemotherapy again but with minimal effect and in August, found her cancer to be growing. She refused all chemotherapy treatment as she yearned to spend quality time with her family.
She visited Sri Lanka in July 2015 and stayed for two months with the children and took Yoga and Siddha Ayurveda Medicine, which managed to heal her with a reduction in the cancer evident through a change into 50% reduction in her tumor markers. She returned to UK in September 2015 and was again admitted to the hospital in October and passed away on 2nd November 2016.
Indira was the younger daughter of Hon Karu Jayasuriya & Dr (Mrs) Vasantha Jayasuriya. She was educated at St Bridget’s Convent, Devi Balika Maha Vidyalaya and finally in UK. In 1989 Mr. Jayasuriya was forced to send his two daughters, aged 15 and 12 years, to UK due to threats on his and his family’s lives for heading government’s economic reforms. She had just turned 40 on 26th September 2016 and of her short life she spent 28 years in UK. She obtained a degree in Economics from Bradford University in UK and a Masters in Development Studies at the London School of Economics. Thereafter she served in several leading financial institutions holding senior positions, such as Marketing Manager.
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