Pink October is celebrated as the Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this time, through the campaign ICANcer, JWB is bringing to you inspiring stories of women who fought and won.

Vibha Agarwal, a homemaker, and a social worker was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 at its second stage. We met her on a sunny day that got a bit brighter for me after hearing how this woman reinvented her life after she had overcome cancer. Today, she is filling each day of her life with dedicated work for others in need.

Me: Tell us about the day you got to know that you had cancer?

Vibha Agarwal: I shifted to this house in 2006. That year I was detected with cancer. People started saying all sorts of superstitious things that the house was unlucky for me, and we should not have stayed there. But I was very positive from the beginning. In fact, I used to think that this house was lucky for me since I had got detected early.

Later, when I was operated in July, my nurses and doctors used to say ‘How are you always smiling?’ And I replied them that now I was free from moksha. I can peacefully die since I have faced one of the biggest problems in my life.

I have a very strong belief in my Guruji, Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya, and I owe my health and the way I overcame my cancer to him. Mediation and my belief in him made me win this battle so easily. That time when I was fighting cancer, I liked being aloof; and all those people who I didn’t wish to meet couldn’t reach my house too. That is how strong my meditation was.

Me: How did you rediscover womanhood during that phase?

Vibha Agarwal: Thankfully, I had a lump in my breast, and so only that was removed instead of getting one of the breasts removed. But yes I was very scared of how I would look. I was told that on the 19th day all my hair would go. But like I told you that I used to meditate a lot. I was so positive even during that period. Then they were gone obviously, and I got a wig and several scarfs so that I didn’t look awkward. I have always been very conscious about my looks, so losing hair was a really tough time for me. Since I used to take part in jewellery exhibitions, I thought I needed to be presentable in order to step out of the house.

Me: What were those few things you wanted to achieve post your treatment?

Vibha Agarwal: After I had gone through my chemotherapy and radiation, it felt like a rebirth to me. That was when I decided I had to devote my life to others. I have to do something for the needy. Though it took me long, two years back, I opened ‘.’ This NGO works for the upliftment of women who are Below Poverty Line. I have over 2000 ladies as a part of this organisation who make over 90 different products like mobile covers, bags, pickles, candles, etc.

I am the happiest whenever I am with these women. It feels such a great pleasure to help them. They never stepped out of their houses and recognized their talents.

I also tried to go to Mahaveer Cancer Hospital and teach the meditation that helped me win my battle against cancer to those women who are fighting now. They told me their speakers were not working, and I even wanted to help them with that, but then they didn’t revert.

It is very important for everybody to meditate. We have the power within ourselves, but we don’t recognise it. What we feed in our subconscious mind is how we behave. Also, we should all count our blessings. God has blessed us with so much that if we survive cancer, it should be our payback moment. We should help others since God had helped us.