Shrenik Shah, Asia Pacific Kindness and Leadership Awardee, Global Influencer, Mentor, and Keynote Speaker, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“National Cancer Survivors Day
I have a confession to make.
I don’t like being called a cancer survivor.
Not because I am ungrateful.
But because survival was only the beginning.
The day my larynx was removed, people saw what cancer had taken from me.
My voice. What they couldn’t see was everything else I was losing.
My identity.
My confidence.
My certainty about the future.
The person I thought I would become.
Nobody prepares you for that part.
Nobody tells you that after the surgeries, treatments, and hospital visits are over, a different battle begins.
The battle of rebuilding.
Rebuilding your confidence.
Rebuilding your relationships.
Rebuilding your purpose.
Rebuilding your life.
24 years later, I have learned something profound.
Cancer did not make me stronger.
People did.
The doctors who refused to give up.
The caregivers who stayed.
The friends who listened.
The strangers who showed kindness.
The fellow patients who taught me courage.
And perhaps that is what National Cancer Survivors Day is really about.
Not celebrating those who survived cancer.
But celebrating every human being who helped make survival possible.
Today, I honour every survivor.
Every caregiver.
Every doctor.
Every nurse.
Every family member.
And every person quietly fighting a battle nobody else can see.
Because survival is never a solo achievement.
It is a shared act of humanity.
And if you are currently walking through your darkest chapter, please remember this:
You do not have to be fearless.
You do not have to be strong every day.
You only have to keep going.
One breath.
One step.
One day at a time.
Happy National Cancer Survivors Day.
With gratitude,
Shrenik Shah.”
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