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Through the eyes of a Cancer Survivor... but the spiritual aspects of the symptoms
as well, and that connected with me. That is
something I’ve always wanted to do, and when I
ms. rajni arora & got the opportunity to work in the field, I took it.

Q: It’s very intense work, working within this
dr. ishita gandhi field. How do you maintain your own well-
being amidst your work at CanSupport?

A: [Dr Gandhi] As I said, it’s very fulfilling. When
you see a person in pain, and you see the
distress of that person and everyone around
Q: Could you talk us through the initial Q: A question for Ms. Arora, it must have them, you try to elevate that pain. Most of the
stages of joining CanSupport? Were there been shocking to discover that you had time, half the pain goes by just sitting and
any challenges that you faced while joining cancer. Can you give us some insight into listening to the patient explaining the extent
an organization with such a large outreach? how you went from shock to determination of their pain. And by the end of the one hour
after your diagnosis, and if you could speak I spend with the patient and I ask the patient
A: [Ms. Arora] When I joined, back in 2003, I knew to a younger version of yourself who had how they’re feeling now and they say “Ab
of CanSupport but hadn’t given much thought just been diagnosed, what would you say? thoda theek lag raha hai.”, I also feel happiness.
before that. It was my own cancer that became That is more than enough to take care of our
a catalyst for me to change the course of my life, A: [Ms. Arora] I speak to younger versions every mental health. Of course, we also have a lot of
I was working at an advertising agency. I didn’t day; handhold cancer patients through their other strategies. I like to read fantasy novels
really have any problems joining, because it was journey. As for my diagnosis, I wouldn’t say whenever I feel overwhelmed with my work.
a small group then. It was a handful of volunteers that I was in shock initially. I wasn’t really in
and a handful of paid staff, both six-odd. denial, either. I had to accept it, look it in the
CanSupport was founded in 1996, but it officially eye, and move on. If I hadn’t looked it in the eye, [Ms. Arora] We also have meetings and
began work in 1997, and I joined 6 years after I wouldn’t have been able to fight it. I was 14 sessions with the workers and volunteers to
that. I got to watch the organization grow from years old, and I had accidentally found it myself, raise our spirits. They’re quite therapeutic.
just 3 teams into a fully-fledged organization. and that’s the importance of early detection.
Come 2006, it became more organized, That’s the importance of being in touch with Q: Ms. Arora spoke about breaking the
with a more streamlined business model. your own body. More than myself, my family stigma around cancer. Do you think that
Even now, there is still a strong camaraderie was in shock, because my mother had passed there are any misconceptions that the
between the staff and the volunteers. just a few years before that, and my sisters were general public may have about cancer?
devastated. There were all kinds of reactions
[Dr. Gandhi] I’m a more recent arrival to the from the rest of my family. When I lost my hair, A: [Both] Oh, yes, plenty!
organization, I joined just 4 years ago. I joined I took it in my stride, I tried new treatments, I Ms. Arora [Ms. Arora] And we’ll be speaking
the palliative care team. In 2018, we were 32 odd shaved my head, and I tried to break through about those in our sessions.
teams, only in Delhi NCR, and we are expanding the stigma that having cancer can carry.
gradually to neighboring areas. Raising general Q. You mentioned student volunteers
awareness of Palliative Care, which is a new thing Q: A question for Dr. Gandhi, what inspired helping your cause. Are there any ways that
in India is an extremely important thing. Apart you to become a Palliative Care Physician? students can engage with CanSupport?
from that, I wouldn’t say it’s been challenging,
in fact, it’s been very rewarding. What I do is A: [Dr. Gandhi] What inspired me? Honestly, it A: [Ms. Arora] Yes, in fact, you could do bake
a very fulfilling job and all the problems melt was luck. I stumbled upon this profession, but it Ms. Gandhi sales, pledges, raise awareness, you could act
away as you see the pain in the patient leave, became my calling. One thing that stuck with as ambassadors to CanSupport in your families
the joy on the faces of the patient’s family. I me is that we always try to treat a disease, but we and communities… and when you have events
must applaud the teams, who worked even never see beyond that disease. We never treat like PTAs, you could man a stall, and raise funds
through the peak of COVID, supporting the the person. What is the person suffering from? for CanSupport or similar initiatives. You could
members who were at loss, who couldn’t go One may want to treat a fever, but I wished to also come to the daycare and support the
to any hospitals, and who were not able to visit treat Person A with the fever. When I found children there with activities, and of course, the
patients. But the teams continued to support this field, I found that the essence of palliative CanSupport Walk. You could register children
them through the phone, and visited them to medicine lay in holistic medicine. When I say, for the Walk on February 19th and encourage
comfort them, even if it was in COVID Suits. “Holistic Medicine” I refer to not just the physical people around you and in your communities
aspects, but the emotional, the psychological, to join us to support those with cancer.
and the spiritual aspects of the symptoms
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