When Nimrat was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 44, the married mother of two said she found the news shocking, but not entirely unexpected. Having lost her mom to cancer in India when she was 14, Nimrat had lived through the worst-case scenario, but now, living in Canada, her cancer was detected early, and her mindset was one of determination and hope.
“Because I was so devastated when I found out about my mom’s cancer, I wanted to approach my diagnosis differently so my boys would have a different experience,” said Nimrat. “That’s when I decided that I would make the most of it. I was going to come at it from a positive lens. I wanted to go forward feeling powerful and come out a stronger person.”
Nimrat carefully evaluated her choices, and erring on the safe side, she opted for a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. She leaned into support from her family and friends and tapped into Wellspring’s online programs for a much-needed weekly routine during her recovery. And all the while she was drawing on deep-rooted strength and resilience from her past.
“Growing up I kept everything inside. I didn’t really have a voice, didn’t talk about my feelings, and I feel that that led to some mental health issues — I struggled with major depression in my 20s. That’s when I decided that this is not how I’m going to deal with adversity in the future. I will take control of my feelings and deal with things rather than push them aside,” she said.
That mindset became her guiding principle, and was reinforced when she received her diagnosis.
“We talked about it openly and honestly with the boys. We answered their questions as much as we could, so they were really unfazed — they were able to cope,” she said.
At times, Nimrat says she lightened the mood by bringing humour to the difficult moments, joking about “getting great new boobs” out of the unfortunate situation. More importantly, her positive lens helped keep her mind from spiraling into fear.
A Fearful Culture
Nimrat’s family was living in rural India when her mom first became ill, but with her sights set on immigrating to the West to give her youngest child a better life, she ignored the signs until it was too late.
“The word ‘cancer’ has such a negative stigma in our culture. When people think cancer, they think death,” she said. “And in some rural parts of India, cancer is not manageable. With limited access to health care and resources, and with lack of education and knowledge, people are not able to advocate for themselves, so often people do die from it.”
Sadly, this was the outcome for her mom, whose cancer was too advanced for treatment when it was detected upon their arrival to the United States. So, leaving Nimrat in the care of relatives there, she opted to return home to India, where she later died.
After her mother’s death, Nimrat moved to Calgary, where she was adopted by her uncle and aunt. Together with older siblings back in India, and the family who raised her in Calgary, she grew up surrounded by love and support. That grounding, along with the loving support of her husband, helped immensely when she later faced cancer herself.
When Nimrat was diagnosed, she was mostly optimistic, having faith in her care team and the treatment available. She did, however, find herself having to contend with some of the cultural misconceptions and superstitions that can surround the illness. Specifically, she recalls the ‘hushed tones’ of those in her South Asian circles when asking about her health, and one family member suggesting that someone had cast the “evil eye” on her.
A Hopeful Horizon
Nirmat first learned about Wellspring Alberta through the information package provided by her oncologist. While, like many patients, she felt overwhelmed by the flood of information she received during diagnosis, Nimrat took the time to review it all, and said, “Wellspring really jumped out to me.”
“I knew I wouldn’t be able to do my usual routine of Pilates and walking during those initial recovery weeks, and it was winter, so I was looking for ways to support my mental health from home.”
Enrolling in Wellspring’s online Breathwork program, followed by Qigong and Yoga, helped her stay focused, engaged and active.
“The programs were amazing — I really enjoyed them,” she said. “It was nice having something to look forward to, and it gave me structure and a new routine for those challenging weeks. It really helped me recover.”
As an introvert with strong family support, Nimrat wasn’t necessarily seeking connection with others, but she felt the benefits of the caring community, and she was grateful for the ease of Wellspring services.
“I was happy to log in from the comfort of my home, do my programs, and then with a feeling of being in a better headspace, I could log out and get on with my day,” she said.
“I do think the Saath program would be helpful for those who are facing the stigma that can come with cancer, and for sure that’s common within South Asian circles. If they can be a part of something that offers resources specific to their needs, I do think it would make the process a lot easier,” she said.
Saath (Cancer Support) Is Now Online
Saath is Wellspring Alberta’s culturally tailored cancer support program for South Asian adults living with cancer and their families. Offered in a welcoming, family-friendly environment, Saath provides a safe space to connect with others, share experiences, and explore practical ways to cope with cancer while honouring South Asian values, traditions, and languages.
We’re excited to share that Saath is now available online, making it accessible to anyone in Alberta. Whether you live in a large city or a rural community, you can now join from wherever you are and connect with others who understand your experience. Together, we can ensure more Albertans have access to compassionate, culturally responsive cancer support, no matter where they call home.
Furthermore, Nimrat wishes more people could be made aware of Wellspring Alberta earlier in their cancer journey.
“If people could know about Wellspring before the point of going into treatment, I know it would help them so much, just knowing they would have this resource during recovery,” she said.
For Nimrat, cancer was not something to hide from, or something to be pitied for; she calls it “a curveball,” and she knows that everyone will encounter these in some form throughout their lives.
By meeting cancer head on with honesty, humour, and openness, she found a way through it, and she hopes others can too.