“They Held My Hand When I Had Lost All Hope” — My Journey with Sanjeevani’s CanSahyogi Team
My name is Savita (name changed) . I come from a small village near Nagpur. My husband works as a daily wage laborer, and we live a simple life. Two years ago, I started feeling a lump in my breast. At first, I ignored it. I thought maybe it was just some swelling that would go away. But slowly, it started hurting.
One day, the pain became so bad that I couldn’t even lift my arm. We went to the Tata Hospital at Mumbai and after many tests, the doctor told me — “You have cancer.”
Those three words broke me. My ears stopped hearing, my mind stopped working. I looked at my husband, and both of us started crying. We didn’t even understand what to do next.
Cancer sounded like a death sentence to us.
The doctor told us I would need chemotherapy and surgery. We had no idea what that meant. I remember sitting outside the hospital corridor, shivering with fear and confusion. There were so many people, so many machines, so many forms to fill… and I could barely read or write. I thought, “How will I ever manage this?”
That was the day an angel walked into my life — my CanSahyogi Didi from Sanjeevani Life Beyond Cancer.
A Stranger Who Became My Strength
She came and sat beside me. I still remember her smile — warm, calm, full of kindness. She asked softly, “How are you feeling?”
No one had asked me that question in days. I just started crying. She held my hand and said, “Don’t be scared. You are not alone. We are with you.”
She told me that she was a cancer survivor herself and that she now works with an organization called Sanjeevani Life Beyond Cancer, helping patients like me through something called the CanSahyogi program.
That day, she explained everything to me in simple words — what chemotherapy is, why my hair might fall, what side effects might come, how to eat during treatment, and how to keep myself strong.
I cannot explain what it meant to me. Until then, no one had taken the time to explain things slowly, with patience and love. For the first time since my diagnosis, I felt I could breathe again.
Guiding Me Through the Chaos
From that day onward, my CanSahyogi Didi became my guide. Every time I came to the hospital for treatment, she was there — smiling, encouraging, sometimes even scolding me lovingly when I got too scared.
She helped me get my hospital registration done, guided me about free medicine schemes, and even helped me fill out forms for government support. I used to get so confused in those long queues and complex counters, but she walked with me everywhere.
Once, when my husband had to go back to the village for work, I came alone for my chemo. I was so frightened. But my Didi sat with me the whole time. She held my hand while the nurse inserted the needle. She kept talking to me, telling me stories of her own treatment days — how she lost her hair, how she got better, how she now helps others.
I remember she said, “Savita, this is not the end. You will get through this. Just believe.”
That sentence became my lifeline.
Healing Beyond Medicines
Chemotherapy was painful. I felt weak all the time. My hair fell out. Some days I couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror. I used to cry alone in the hospital washroom.
But every time my CanSahyogi Didi saw me, she brought back my smile. She would say, “Tum sundar ho, Savita. You are beautiful — because you are fighting.”
She started teaching me small breathing exercises, telling me to sit quietly, close my eyes, and imagine light filling my body. She said this helps calm the mind and gives strength. She also told me about eating light food — vegetables, fruits, and lots of water.
Once a week, the Sanjeevani team held small group sessions in the hospital waiting area. We all sat together — patients, caregivers, and a few volunteers. We talked, we laughed, sometimes we cried together. Those few hours felt like therapy. For the first time, I felt part of a family that truly understood what I was going through.
When I Lost Hope, They Brought It Back
There came a time when my reports showed no improvement. I got scared again. I told my Didi, “Maybe I should stop treatment. What’s the use?”
She looked at me firmly and said, “Savita, the medicine is working — it’s just slow. You don’t give up halfway. You have come this far. You can’t quit now.”
Her words gave me courage. I continued the treatment. A few months later, my doctor told me the tumor had shrunk. I looked at my Didi and cried with joy. She hugged me tightly and said, “See, I told you — you are stronger than you think.”
Support for My Family
It wasn’t just me. My husband was also struggling. He didn’t understand much about cancer. He was scared and angry. Once, he told me he couldn’t bear to see me suffer like this.
My Didi sat with him and explained everything — how to take care of me, what to cook, and how to stay positive. She told him that many women like me had recovered and were living normal lives again. Slowly, even he started believing.
When I couldn’t afford the travel for one of my treatments, Sanjeevani arranged some help. That day, I realized that this organization doesn’t just talk about care — they truly live it.
A New Beginning
After almost a year of treatment, the doctor finally said the words I had been praying to hear — “You are cancer-free.”
I couldn’t stop crying. I folded my hands to God and then turned to my CanSahyogi Didi. I told her, “You were my strength when I had none. You were my family when I was alone.”
She smiled and said, “Now it’s your turn, Savita. You should become a CanSahyogi too — to help others like yourself.”
That day, a new dream took birth in me. I joined the Sanjeevani CanSaarthi program after my recovery. Now, after A six month rigorous training, I sit in the same hospital corridor where I once sat crying in fear — but this time, I am the one holding someone else’s hand, telling them, “Don’t worry, you are not alone.”
What Sanjeevani Means to Me
For people like me, who come from poor families and small towns, hospitals can feel like a maze. We donP’t have anyone to explain things or hold our hand. But the CanSahyogi program fills that gap beautifully. It gives us courage, knowledge, and love.
Sanjeevani doesn’t just help us fight cancer — it helps us fight fear. It gives us dignity. It gives us a reason to live.
Today, when I meet new patients, I tell them my story. I show them my bald pictures from chemo days and laugh. I tell them, “See, I was scared too. But I made it — and you will too.”
My Message to the World
If you ever meet someone fighting cancer, don’t just talk about medicines. Sit with them. Hold their hand. Listen to their heart. That’s what Sanjeevani taught me — that healing begins with kindness.
The CanSahyogi program changed my life completely. It turned my pain into purpose. It made me see that even after cancer, there is life — full of hope, strength, and love.
For me, Sanjeevani is not just an organization. It is a family of angels who walk into people’s darkest days and light a lamp of hope.
And I will always, always be grateful to them.
(Narrated to me by A beneficiary. Name changed and pic withheld. Was narrated in Hindi - English translation was done)
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