Cancer Survivor Plays Basketball With Adam Sandler

Two and a half months ago, Zed Dhalla could barely get out of bed. Last week, the 36-year-old cancer survivor was shooting hoops with Adam Sandler at a Vancouver YMCA.

Dhalla was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer last year at age 35. Doctors discovered a plum-sized tumor blocking his colon and removed his entire large intestine on his first wedding anniversary.

The Vancouver resident lost 45 pounds during treatment. Then tragedy compounded: his mother Yasmin died of cancer, and he tore his ACL playing basketball to cope with his grief.

"I had to show up to my mom's funeral on crutches and all bandaged up around my stomach," Dhalla says. He finished chemotherapy just two months ago.

When Sandler appeared at the Robert Lee YMCA, Dhalla was starstruck. The Happy Gilmore star has been his hero since childhood, and he's watched Sandler's movies "more times than I can count on two hands."

What surprised Dhalla most was how genuine the actor was. Sandler spent time talking with him about his journey and played basketball alongside him for the afternoon.

"Playing with Adam was the first time I've really played basketball in eight months," Dhalla explains. The timing felt meaningful after such a difficult year.

Sunny's Take

Dhalla's story reminds us how quickly life can shift in both directions. Within a year, he faced cancer, surgery, the loss of his mother, and a torn ACL. But just as swiftly, he found himself living a dream he never imagined possible.

Meeting your childhood hero while recovering from chemotherapy might seem like pure luck. But Dhalla showed up to that gym because he chose to keep moving forward, even when getting out of bed felt impossible.

"Just as quickly as life can go bad, it can be just as quick to turn to good, too," Dhalla says. He's now cancer-free and rebuilding his strength one game at a time.