Cancer Could Not Conquer Her Spirit - A Mother’s Tale

“The day her leg operation was scheduled was the hardest for her. My Shilpa couldn’t stop crying. She was not only losing her leg but also her dreams!” - Shilpa’s mother.

This is the story of my daughter Shilpa, whose life was interrupted when she was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease - cancer, at a time when the pandemic had us all writhing in its clutches in 2020. Most of us have known someone with cancer, whether it's a family member, a friend, or an acquaintance. However, when you find out that your own daughter is suffering from it, the impact is absolutely devastating. Even though the doctor may have mentioned the possibility, receiving the confirmed diagnosis can be the most jolting of shocks.

Cancer entered our lives just as the world was brought to a standstill by the pandemic. It began with minor, unsuspecting pain and swelling in the leg. Little did we know that this was just the beginning. The minor swelling gradually revealed itself to be a deadly soft tissue sarcoma or cancer. We didn't anticipate that it was just the start of a long and frightening uphill battle. 

When the doctor uttered the four words, "your daughter has cancer," we instantly knew that our lives had changed forever. "Shock" is an understatement for what we felt when the doctors informed us about this deadly disease. Despite doing everything and selling all that we had, we could not save her leg, as the cancer had reached her bones, and amputation was the only option left.

Unfortunately, our daughter, a dancer, had to undergo a leg amputation to save her life.

Source: ImpactGuru

I tried to stay as calm as possible but I couldn’t hide my feelings. Tears filled my eyes when I saw her secretly watching her old dancing videos. She tried to stay strong and told me she was all right. But as a mother, it was heart-wrenching to see the very thing that she loved the most taken away from her in such a cruel manner. I prayed to God every day. I prayed for strength to get through this, to save my baby from more pain, but most of all, I prayed that no one else would have to endure what my Shilpa had been going through.

Source: ImpactGuru

Our daughter was dancing before she could even say her first words. All it took was some music for baby Shilpa to make her arms and legs move in the air. She was truly poetry in motion. From there on, my Shilpa never stopped pursuing her passion until this horrendous catastrophe rained down on our lives!

Passion was her core strength. Growing up, she participated in various competitions and won laurels for her dance. Not just that, she was equally adept at cooking and drawing as well.

“Dance makes me feel free like a bird with wings,” Shilpa would often say. But how could we have known that a minor swelling was all it would take to snip her wings?!

Whenever I saw my daughter seeing her ghungroo and weeping, to lift her spirits, I’d often say “You are a fighter, you got this”. It was agonizingly painful for the entire family to watch our dear daughter go through so much. It led to many sleepless nights. She knew that she had the will to beat the disease. She took everything in her stride, for “Cancer” was just a word for her, not a sentence.

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When a young girl like my daughter has her life so rudely interrupted just when she was reaching her stride, and she finds herself in a position where she becomes a dependent child again, it can be difficult to accept the reality and move on, knowing that she can no longer do the things she once could.

One thing led to another. Suddenly, my daughter, who was once independent, had to become dependent on someone. The side effects of chemotherapy caused her hair to fall out, her complexion changed, her appetite was low, and her palm turned black due to rashes. I could not believe what this disease had done to her! 

In addition, the painful side effects of chemotherapy dominated her life. It took a major toll on her body, and amputation was obviously a life-changing experience for all of us. Shilpa’s unwavering spirit and unwillingness to give up pushed her forward in difficult times. She decided that she was going to lead her life differently, more positively

“The news was definitely shattering for the entire family undoubtedly but my mother was a fierce protector throughout my treatment journey”, Shilpa shared. “She became a super-mom. She was like an angel sent from heaven above. Right from taking me for treatment to sitting with me for hours for my chemotherapy sessions, my mom was my sole support through it all”.

Source: ImpactGuru

The doctor had already informed us that amputation of the leg was the only way out. We weren’t confident as we didn’t have sufficient funds for her operation up until the doctors at Fortis introduced us to ImpactGuru when they saw us struggling with the exorbitant treatment costs.  

After the idea was explained to us, we were left thinking, “Can we do that”? But as we didn’t have any alternative, it was actually my decision to give it a shot, says Shilpa’s mother. We didn’t even have money for the auto-rickshaw fare. How were we to arrange lakhs of rupees to save our daughter? We were frustrated. Our daughter had the willpower, but we didn’t have the means to save her. 

Also Read: World Children’s Day 2023: Creating A Healthier World For Our Children

Hence, we turned to ImpactGuru to create a fundraiser for Shilpa’s surgery. They stood by us through thick and thin, utilizing their various social media channels to raise the amount. To our amazement, three lakhs were raised in only two days! It was entirely due to the love and support showered upon us by the kind donors that my daughter got a new lease on life.

She has been told by the doctors that she is recovering from Cancer slowly, so that gives her renewed hope. She can walk independently now and can take the stairs on her own. This has boosted her confidence and has made me a lot happier.  

“The pain I went through was indescribable. It's crazy. It's just amazing I've been able to have this opportunity and I'm very thankful to everyone at ImpactGuru. We need more organizations like them to help others like me struggling with Cancer and other diseases. - Shilpa exclaims! 

We are really proud of our Shilpa and she has come out of it as a true champion, all thanks to the generous donations received from donors. Doctors say that she is on the path to recovery. Every contribution counts and you can also become a part of the community to support a cause. ImpactGuru provides you to do just that wherein you can choose the cause you wish to support every month and make donations on a monthly basis. To know more, visit GEM.

Remember, your simple act of kindness can help save a precious life and bring new hope and healing to those fighting their toughest battles.