Shweta Chawre Bone - Cancer Survivor

Shweta Chawre, a childhood cancer survivor, tells her story. She noticed her right knee ailing
during the summer of 2008, just after finishing her SSC. The discomfort lasted a week. She
assumed it was pain from the strain she put on herself in athletics. The discomfort worsened
even after several days of medicines and ointments. She was unable to walk correctly. Her
family went to an orthopaedic doctor, who referred her for a biopsy. According to the biopsy
results, she had a large tumour just below the knee. Her world came crashing down on
September 12th, 2008, when she was diagnosed with stage 2 Osteosarcoma at the age of 15.
(an aggressive type of bone cancer).
Dreams with a tinge of hope
She was always an active, healthy teen with boundless energy. She was a basketball player, a
sprinter, and a painter. She never stayed in one area for long. She had wanted to be an animator
since she was 11 years old. This inspired her to create stories, characters, and TV series. She
had no idea that the diagnosis would cause so much uncertainty in her life. When the doctor
says, "You have cancer," or, in her parents' case, "Your child has cancer," it's difficult to hear
anything else. It rained down thunder on her and her family. They saw that difficult times were
ahead of them, yet they refused to give up. They summoned all of their strength and spirit to
defeat cancer.
Three days later, she began a three-month course of rigorous chemotherapy. She was always
unwell. The fast runner was always confined to his bed. Her immune system had been so
compromised by the treatment that she was at significant risk of contracting other diseases. She
lost a lot of weight and went bald. She was barely 29 kg! On December 3, 2008, she underwent
surgery in which the surgeons removed the entire tumour as well as a large portion of her tibia
bone. Her knee was also implanted with titanium. The physicians performed plastic surgery on
her left leg, removing a portion of skin and grafting it onto her right leg. She became delusional
as a result of the tremendous pain she endured. . It was a lot to deal with. Those were difficult
times for her. She remembers everything: the dressing, the blood, the tiredness, the rage, and
the frustration. She also recalls a time when she would watch people walk and think to herself,
"I will never walk like this." She became depressed when she saw females her age doing their
hair, wearing gorgeous clothes, and hanging out with their buddies.
Going the Extra Mile
She had 6 additional cycles of chemotherapy, 9 months of physiotherapy, and was in a lot of
agony after the surgery. Her treatment was finally completed in September 2009. She was
aware that she had tasted freedom. She was soon able to walk unaided. First, short distances,
then long distances!

Her family and close friends gave her with tremendous emotional support and helped her get
through the treatment. She overcame it by depending on optimism, courage, and drawing
cartoons. She is appreciative to the staff and doctors who treated her with dignity. She
completed her studies in April 2011 and obtained a first-class mark in her high school diploma.
In July of 2014, she obtained her B.A. She had a new sense of confidence and optimism because
everyone in the group had overcome childhood cancer.
She never felt alone, and she continued to go for the annual check-ups.
It had been ten years since her cancer diagnosis. She has now been a long-term survivor. She
also got engaged to her best buddy Satish Pathak. She considered herself exceedingly fortunate
and blessed to have met him. Satish, like her, is strong, supportive, and kind. She still cannot
believe it has been ten years. Was it all a dream? No, no, no!
She truly marched through hell with a grin on her face, clutching her Aai and Baba's hands the
entire while. They have become stronger as a group.
A new beginning awaits you.
She is one of the few people who has made a career out of a childhood hobby. She is now
content with her job as an animator. She resolved not to allow a physical impediment prevent
her from doing what she enjoys. Her passion for animation is so strong that she commutes to
work for four hours every day. She launched a YouTube food recipe channel named "Food Me
Now" with the support of Satish. She also works as an independent illustrator, drawing
cartoons, caricatures, graphic designs, logo designs, and so on. She has also represented India
at the SIOP (Society of International Paediatric Oncology) conference in Toronto, Canada. It
was her first flight and her first trip to the airport!
Hers is not an unusual story. Many cancer survivors experience similar, if not worse, obstacles
than she did. She was, however, fortunate to come across a good support system and timely
treatment. Unfortunately, many survivors must uncover and explore a plethora of new and
frightening topics on their own. They are not as fortunate as she is. Cancer has the ability to
either make you stronger or mad. She believes she has experienced both. But if God did this
for a reason, it will be for naught if she doesn't find a way to make the experience beneficial.
Every bad thing in your life is redirecting you towards a good thing, and everything happens
for a reason. Trust me, I have lived it! – Shweta Chawre

Submitted by – Palash Saroware (20020441237, A_44, Batch 2020-22)