Monday Motivation: Beating cancer, Pune-based woman turns life around through business

Pune: With hope, the odds don’t matter! The line perfectly suits for Shilpa Dare (name changed), who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 18. Now, seven years after her diagnosis, she not only defeated cancer but also running her own logistics business successfully.

Shilpa was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was studying in Class 12. She then underwent surgery for the removal of the tumour at Pune based hospital. Meanwhile, she took more than 30 chemotherapy cycles along with some radiation therapy. Shilpa at 25 after overcoming a deadly disease recently was awarded as the best young businesswoman by multiple companies.

Dr Minish Jain, the oncologist from Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune, said, "The incidence of cancer at a young age is increasing in India. Shilpa was diagnosed at a very young age. She not only undergone the entire treatment but she is free of cancer now. It takes determined efforts to fight cancer.”

“One should not only complete the treatment but follow all the guidelines given by a doctor. When she was taking her treatment, she completed her college education and is now doing great at her business. One should not get scared of cancer. In fact, if you take a complete treatment, you can live a healthy and long life”, he said.

She said, "When I got to know that I have cancer, many people said that I will not be able to live a long life. There was a lot of uncertainty. But I did not want to lose without giving it a fight. I was determined to take the treatment and pursue my education too. Encountering cancer at a young age is very different. But I took it as a challenge in life.”

“The fighting spirit, patience, and perseverance are the things that you need in your fight with cancer. These learnings are helping me a lot in my business. Currently, I head a team of 20 people. Society has many misconceptions when it comes to cancer. People think that once you have cancer you will not be able to survive for long. But it is not true. Even after cancer, you can live a healthy and long life,” she mentions.