Since his first diagnosis in 2014, Naseeb Singh has battled cancer on six other occasions, overcoming it each time with faith, resiliency, the love of family, and an overwhelming desire to live.
Singh, who came to Canada almost three decades ago, quickly became focused on a career path, eventually making his home in Brantford in 2021.
“I was born in the Punjab Province of India, and I came to Canada about 28 years ago with my family. My first job was as an overnight cleaner at Zellers…and during the day I went to school full time. But, while working there, I began to have a dream of becoming a police officer. Every time I would go to work…I would see two police cruisers outside and thought about what they did for the good they did in the community and how I could make a difference being a police officer. This planted the seed, and from there, that was my dream,” he said. “I knew I needed to have a good education. I did a full-time overnight shift, and I did full-time school. My only sleep was only around five hours every day…and it was seven days a week…over the weekend I had a little extra sleep, went to temple….and visit family. So, three years down the road, I graduated from school, and was promoted to the floor walker position. From there, I got admission into the police foundation. However, I was unable to complete my diploma at that time back in 2002 because I had to work and I didn’t have money to afford my diploma, so I had to drop out of college for four months, so I started working again at Zellers.”
However, Singh, would get on the right track to achieve his dream, going into private investigations and eventually becoming a law enforcement officer with the City of Toronto.
“I would move on to Loblaws, doing the same floorwalker role, but with better pay, and worked there for about two years. Then I got into private investigation, moving around to a few companies…I spent a good 13 years in this role…we were hired by many private firms and insurance companies to do surveillance related to corporate insurance and insurance fraud. And from there, I applied to the Toronto Police Services…becoming a by-law enforcement officer with the City of Toronto…I passed physical testing back in 2020 past the interview with a couple services, end up failing the psychological testing which was at the very end, and also cancer stopped me to proceed,” he said.
But in 2014, life changed in a blink of an eye, robbing Singh at a chance to become a police officer.
“My cancer journey started in February of 2014 when I was first diagnosed. Ever since I’ve been through a lot…I had to do 12 rounds of chemo….and then in 2015 another cancer came along…at two different spots….and had to have two surgeries…And by 2016, I had three surgeries in total. I was given six months to live, but by the grace of God, something happened…another surgeon decided to review the CT scans in a different light…and to do another surgery…and then had no diagnosis from late 2018 up until October of 2022 when they then found cancer on two different places…my liver and behind my stomach. This was a particularly bad one. My surgeon said it was non-operatable…because of where it was located as there were a lot of blood vessels,” Singh said. “I was hospitalized back in 2024 for 15 days at one hospital and 15 days at another…in that time, I spent six days in a coma and over 15 hours on a ventilator. And in October 2024, I passed out when I was driving…the car would continue to roll 900 yards without me driving it. I survived that accident, but my vehicle was a total loss.”
Along with the surgeries and chemotherapy, the cancer survivor, who is in remission, has been focused on maintaining a good diet.
“I’m unable to do much physical activity….but you want to take care of your body. I did a lot of fruit juices and vegetable juices. I ate a lot of seeds…they provide you with three omega acids. I don’t smoke or drink and I don’t eat fast food. I basically eat home-cooked meals. I have also searched…a lot of the cancer-killing foods out there that we don’t know about…like spinach [which] is needed for my iron deficiencies. I take vitamin D drops as well as Chaga mushroom drops. These are just items that anybody can buy from the store, and it makes a huge difference….I was also on immunotherapy for good three years and I feel it has worked.”
Although there have been many who have helped Singh, there is one doctor that sticks out in his mind.
“There have been many wonderful doctors and nurses that have helped me through the years… but one doctor in particular who operated on me five times…his name is Dr. Philippe Garzon. He works at Trillium Hospital in the Mississauga…and for me, he has provided me a chance to live and be here today. He knows me from the last 12 years…he has been operating on me since my second surgery, so out of six surgeries, five surgeries have been done by him. He treats me like family and has gotten to know him very well,” he said.
As Singh has endured cancer and everything related to it, the effects on family and everyday life has been also overwhelming.
“Although I was afflicted by cancer, at the end of the day…I wasn’t the only one affected by it. It’s the entire family. When cancer strikes, it not only strikes you physically, it strikes you mentally and emotionally. I’m sure people out there who have had cancer in the family, or they’re going through it, can understand what I am talking about. It affects your daily life; it affects your sleep and your mood. You’re thinking about things like dying and death. It’s the disease that kills most people around the world, but family support is huge. I have 100% support from my wife, from my mother, and other family members. If I didn’t have their help and support…I think I wouldn’t have gone this far…especially from my wife, who helped me in the ER rooms many times…holding my hands [and] sitting there for 12 hours a day, when I was in coma…praying that I would open my eyes,” he said.
However, an important factor in overcoming cancer so many times has been a strong mindset.
“Starting with the first diagnosis, when I went to the hospital for the first time with the bleeding issues, I went to the ER…not knowing I had cancer. I was sent to do the colonoscopy…and then to the surgeon. I didn’t know why I was meeting him. It would be my first surgeon at the Brampton Civic Hospital. He broke the news to me that I had colon cancer. When I heard that word…I shook my head, and then I was dizzy for a bit..Then I put myself together. I’ve always been a positive individual…and thought, if there’s a will, there’s a way…so I asked what’s next? He appreciated my positive attitude…and told me he would operate on me…the cancer was in one spot on the colon and it was going to be cut off. I would then be good to go,” he recounted. “I was very happy. I came home; I told my family the good news that this is what’s going to happen. However, I didn’t realize there was much more to this…that this is a lifelong disease…which I had to live with…and then again when it strikes a second time. And after enduring chemotherapy…I then, within a year, I was in my surgeon’s office discussing another cancer diagnosis…and he couldn’t believe that I was going through this again. He would make the decision…to refer me to Dr. Garzon. I had my initial consultation with him in 2015 and learned that it would be a big procedure. I made the decision to postpone the surgery and go to Chicago…to go to a natural healing place. I did treatment there for a while…and although the cancer didn’t spread…it didn’t go away 100%. I then went back to Dr. Garzon and we went ahead with the operation. [However,] the cancer came back a year later…in my food pipe, as well as in my liver. By now, I knew I had to go through this..it was part of my life and journey. After this, my family and I knew how to handle it in a good way. But, it’s not easy to handle this kind of thing when you hear the word ‘cancer’…and in saying that, I’ve been through so much…and I’ve seen this so much…it’s like a routine, and it’s like a part of life now. I have no choice other than to live with it.”
Over the years, Singh has researched and explored ways to heal his cancer.
“Through my research, I was able to find this clinic in Chicago where I went to…. then I watched a lot of videos of people fighting cancer, not only with doctors, but they did their own regimens, eating specific fruits and vegetables. In 2016, through my research, I found a place that did a one-day treatment in Mexico. I crossed the border from California…and I picked up the medication, and I came back…but unfortunately, the medication didn’t work out for me. Then I went to India to try another medication that didn’t work out which was a very expensive homeopathy medication. Looking back…I wouldn’t say that these medications didn’t do anything for me. They paused the cancer…but they did not kill the cancer entirely,” he noted. “So, I spend a lot of money from my pocket for these treatments including homeopathy and natural treatments. Again, everyone’s body is different….for some people, these treatments may have worked, for some people they may not, for but for me, they paused the cancer [ultimately] giving me some time to think about going in for surgery [as] these procedures were scary to me at the beginning. But now I have had so many, I’m not afraid of surgeries anymore.”
Nevertheless, his story has reached people who wanted to know what to do.
“So far around five people out of the blue called me and told me they got my number from a friend or family member and wanted to know how I have overcome cancer so many times. I always tell them the same thing…I would certainly listen to my doctors, and I do whatever they tell me, whether they tell you to do chemo or their own immunotherapy. I would do that first, and then I do my own regimes like eating seeds, vegetables, fruits, and drinking juices,” he noted. “Recently, I was talking to someone about my cancer journey and she told me her stepfather was going through a similar experience. She was very interested in how I continually overcame it, and I told her, like others, what I did. But I have noticed how people are when I tell them my journey. They get goosebumps…because…I’m the person who was given six months to live back in 2017. I am the person where by 2024 doctors were telling me that they have tried everything…and the options were basically exhausted. They don’t say it, but I know that there is nothing more than they can do. But I am here. I believe God is on my side…and that’s the biggest reason I’m here today.”
And for Singh, he has learned a great deal about himself and the world since surviving cancer six times.
“There’s so much hate around the world. I see that some people don’t like each other, people don’t talk to each other…they are fighting and getting each other upset. We should not have time for all these things. We should love each other regardless of another person’s skin color or religion or how much money they have in their pocket. God created us so we can take care of each other and would say….to live our lives, and do good deeds, and help others,” he said. “I believe God kept me in this world to help others….to help raise my family. I’m available for everyone or anyone, whoever comes to me for any kind of help. I am an individual who will never say no to someone. I may not be able to provide them the exact help they need, but I will definitely give them something comparable to what they’re looking for. So, I love volunteer work. I love helping people. This is what I have been doing, and that’s why I wanted to get into policing again. It was my dream. I don’t know if that dream will come true, but it’s up to God.”
