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Shrenik Shah’s Story from Cancer Survivor to Global Advocate: From Silence to Stages

Shrenik Shah/LinkedIn

Jun 1, 2025, 17:19

Shrenik Shah’s Story from Cancer Survivor to Global Advocate: From Silence to Stages

Shrenik Shah, Patient Ambassador and Moderator of Fridays with Shrenik Live webinar at the Indian Cancer Society, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“I don’t consume tobacco.

But still I had vocal cord cord cancer. Stage IV. 27 years.

In fact, I belong to the 15% of non-smokers who get vocal cord cancer.

I survived twice. But survival is just one part of the story.

In 2018 and 2019, I was invited to speak; not once, but twice; in the UK.

– Nottingham
– Brighton

Two international conferences.
Two packed auditoriums.

And I spoke… without a voice.
No bestselling book.
No viral TEDx talk.
Just a message that refused to be silenced.
People often ask: “How did you land those global stages?” “How did you get sponsored again?”

Here’s what they don’t see:

1. I turned my limitation into leverage

No vocal cords? I still speak.
Not for sympathy but for change. (I recently moderated a session for the same).

People don’t invite me to “inspire.” They invite me to disrupt.

2. I treated every small talk like a global keynote

Whether it was 5 students in a class or 500 attendees abroad
Same prep. Same energy. Same mission.

3. I made it bigger than myself

It’s not about me surviving cancer.
It’s about building awareness, empathy, and access for those still fighting.
Aaj kal, sabko chahiye; virality, visibility, validation.

But the real unlock?

Visibility starts with being valuable.
So here’s my cheat code:
Speak your truth.

Show up like it’s your last talk.
And when life gives you a seat on the plane; don’t just fly. Make it count.
Because Life… can be narrated even without the mist (zindagi… mic ke bina bhi sunayi jaa sakti hai).”

Cancer