Raj was diagnosed with stage 4, diffuse large b-cell lymphoma in May 2023. Her diagnosis came by chance – she had tripped while vacuuming and went to the hospital thinking she had broken a rib. Scans uncovered cancer. She had no symptoms or family history, so the news came as a surprise.
Then it became a race against time as she started treatment right away. Her son Yuvi took a leave of absence from medical school to take on a full-time caregiving role and act as her patient advocate, which included daily trips to the hospital. During treatment Raj was very weak and even experienced three code blues and multiple transfusions. She fell on multiple occasions and was very frail.
Following her initial treatment, the doctors recommended she would need physical rehab, which brought Raj and Yuvi to Wellspring.
Raj needed assistance to walk everywhere. She laughs and says that Yuvi was her cane since she didn’t like how a cane made her look. But now, after using Wellspring’s Exercise program, she can walk unassisted between machines. She has also started to cook again at home.
Yuvi says, “I’ve noticed improvement in her memory and movement. She used to be unable to water her garden – she does that now. Her overall attitude is more positive. And she hasn’t fallen since going to Wellspring.”
Raj adds, “Some people in my life stopped talking to me or coming around because they couldn’t handle the news. And I didn’t want to worry them either. But I don’t have to worry about that at Wellspring. When I started to go to Wellspring, I experienced a strong sense of community. The people had similar journeys, and it became okay to have cancer.”
Now that they’ve been able to get Raj physically stronger, they shared that the next step is to take more Wellspring programs that will strengthen her mentally and emotionally. Yuvi has been attending programs with Raj but indicated that he wants to access some caregiver support programs next.
According to Raj, “I have cancer, but cancer isn’t stopping me. I feel like Wellspring gave me a new lease on life. If it can make a 60-year-old woman who never exercised before enjoy doing it, imagine what else it can do.”
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Donate today to help unlock possibilities for someone like Raj and Yuvi this holiday season.