A Legacy of Compassion and Resilience: Honoring Dr. Asha R. Dhanarajan
“Asha knew only one way of living – that is giving.”
Jasmine Kamboj in the memory of Asha Rebecca Dhanarajan.
Remembering Dr. Asha R. Dhanarajan
Dr. Asha Rebecca Dhanarajan, an oncologist now remembered with love and admiration, sadly passed away last September at a young age after battling cancer for five years. She was the program director of Loyola University’s Hematology Oncology Program and an active ASCO Advocate. That is how Jasmine Kamboj, medical oncologist and hematologist at Mayo Clinic, had met her – during ASCO 2023 annual meeting. In a very heartfelt story published in ASCO Connection, Dr Kamboj shares about her first meeting with Dr D. (that is how people referred to Dr Dhanarajan), her vibrant energy, warmth, humility and dedication to oncology, life story and the brightest memories shared by people who knew and loved her.
Dr. Dhanarajan earned her medical degree and completed her residency at the University of Florida College of Medicine. She further specialized by completing a fellowship in hematology and oncology at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, where years later she became the program director and one of the most beloved doctors.
Dr. Dhanarajan continued working and mentoring even while undergoing treatment for cancer.
“Dr. Dhanarajan’s commitment to education and to her fellows was always obvious but learning that she had taken the role as program director after being diagnosed with cancer made me realize the true depth of her dedication to this work” – says Dr Kamboj. As mentioned in the tribute, Dr D. would use her infusion pump as an opportunity to show fellows how it functioned.
Dr. Dhanarajan’s colleagues at Loyola University remember her not just as an exceptional physician and mentor, but as an irreplaceable presence in their lives. “Asha was the best program director—she was better than all of us. I don’t think she knew how much we relied on her.” – says Joseph I. Clark, MD, Chief of Division of Hematology and Oncology at Loyola University.
One of her close friends and colleagues, Dr. Elizabeth Henry, mentions her time with Dr D. at a Taylor Swift concert:
“Asha was in love with life, and she made the most of every single day.”
Dr. Dhanarajan’s contributions to oncology, medical education, and patient care continue to be felt by those she worked with and mentored.
“The word “Asha” means hope, faith, and optimism.
Dr. Asha R. Dhanarajan truly lived the meaning of her name, as she displayed only one way of living, which is giving!
She was an incredible oncologist, program director and ASCO advocate.”
Jasmine Kamboj, MD
Source: ASCO Connection
-
ESMO 2024 Congress
September 13-17, 2024
-
ASCO Annual Meeting
May 30 - June 4, 2024
-
Yvonne Award 2024
May 31, 2024
-
OncoThon 2024, Online
Feb. 15, 2024
-
Global Summit on War & Cancer 2023, Online
Dec. 14-16, 2023