Rinku Aggrawal, the breast cancer survivor working at ISRO, shares her story with the world and how she fought the ailment to be a part of the Chandrayan mission. The disease could not stop her from pursuing professional achievement, and since her recovery, she has been working for the hardware of India’s Chandrayan-3 mission, NISAR and Earth observation satellites.
Her admirable journey has made her a TEDx speaker as she continues to spread breast cancer awareness. Speaking candidly during a conference in Ahmedabad, she shares that the scariest part of her journey was losing her hair, which was the most beautiful part of her. She stated that she was not scared of chemotherapy but losing her hair, which she had cut short during the treatment.
Talking to the Indian Express, she shared that after being diagnosed with the disease, she had asked the doctor if she had to undergo chemo, as the process would lead to hairfall. When she knew about the result, she told how she used to ask the househelp not to sweep her hair but picked it and dispose of it by hand. The 50-year-old is a mother to twin boys.
Her story is relatable to many survivors, as she digs into the psychological aspect of mastectomy. How one doesn’t just lose their breath in the process, but also their hair and confidence. Breast cancer is easy to diagnose, but self-awareness is a major problem in India. Therefore, most breast cancer advocates ask people to do regular self-examination and consult the doctor whenever necessary. This is important considering that 50% to 60% of patients reach the doctor when it is already too late.
Dr Anagha Zope, the lead consultant at the Breast and Oncoplastic Surgery at Apollo in Ahmedabad, said that Breast cancer is among the most common in India, with 13.6% cases across the country. Talking about the impact of cancer, Aggrawal said that though her colleagues and family supported her, she was always worried about how she was no longer capable of any work.
She also talked about the chances of relapse and the crucial five years after her treatment was completed in 2014. Aggrawal is a living example of how one can tackle the biggest problems in life with courage and conviction, and also a reminder of giving priority to our health and well-being.
