The Richa Foundation presents Sushma Maharjan

The Richa Bajimaya Memorial Foundation is a non-profit organization of  young professionals that is dedicated to creating a movement against cancer. It was established in 2007 as a tribute to the inspirational Richa Bajimaya. At a young age of 23, Richa succumbed to bone cancer (Ewing’s Sarcoma), leaving her friends and loved ones heart broken. However, all who knew her were touched by her unconditional bravery and optimism promised to make her short stay on earth count. They got together to create the foundation in her memory. It exists to change the way people see cancer and cancer patients, by showing the to world the courage that resides within every individual who has cancer or has battled it. It is also working towards removing all sense of dread the word ‘cancer’ invokes, for cancer can be prevented and defeated. We present to you one such woman whose story is full of courage and hope.

There is nothing more beautiful in nature than a lone lotus that arises out of the stagnancy of muddy water. Borne of adversity, Sushma ji’s beauty rivals that of such a lotus. At 32, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, underwent surgery to remove the affected breast shortly after diagnosis and endured several cycles of debilitating chemotherapy. Now, her life is cancer free and she has dedicated the gift of her life to helping others. Hers is a story of victory and hope that has inspired everyone around her.

I am Sushma Maharjan Lilly, and a breast cancer survivor. I live in Dhobighat and although I don’t have a job right now, I volunteer at Animal Nepal. What I really want to do is to open up my own organization.

What type of organization are you thinking of opening?

I want to open a home for street children and unwanted children and am already working towards making that a reality. Besides this, I am very keen on helping people through anything. Unfortunately, I am not able to work like I used to in the past because of my physical weakness. But I still think I can contribute a lot, just by being able to connect with people. 

Although I am not physically strong enough to do a full-time job, I am not content sitting at home, only resting. I want to make a difference in the lives of less privileged people. Many of the neglected children have nothing worthwhile and I feel that their lives should be made more meaningful. 

I was not always this positive. I feel that I have become more expressive. Now, when I go out and meet people, I introduce myself as a cancer patient. When talking to ladies in the hospital, I tell them to take care of themselves. I share my experiences with them. I tell them not to feel shy about a knot they may have, not to hide it for long and to have it checked as soon as possible. I tell them that only they are responsible for their health. Until they share, they won’t get any help. 

Do you think that there is too much secrecy regarding cancer in our society?

There is a lot of secrecy and prejudices when it comes to diseases people don’t know anything about, especially cancer. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, my own friends told me things like I shouldn’t consider removing my breast before marriage, and that I would become a cripple. They used to ask me how I got cancer and why I got it. That little word ‘why’ struck me like a slap every time someone asked me. It carried a tone of accusation like I had done something to cause this to happen to me, like it was my fault. I didn’t know any better then and started getting feelings of guilt, like maybe I had done something wrong in life to deserve such a disease. 

It is an unfortunate fact of our society. The attitude of people is disappointing, especially at times when you need their support the most. People love to play the blame game whenever anything bad happens. They don’t care what the facts are and they don’t care what their words do to other people. 

How can this attitude be changed?

The doctors who attended to me were wonderful. They were very direct and told me that I should not delay treatment. They gave me almost all the facts I needed to know, answered all my questions with patience. Treatment started next day and the operation occurred in one week. My postoperative recovery was very quick, as my doctors said. 

I consciously made myself strong. I hate hospitals. I’ve had some bad experiences from when my parents were admitted. So I ate well, exercised like the doctors had told me and followed their advice diligently to recover as quickly as I could. Other patients would just laze around the whole day, doing nothing the doctors advised. It helped when I fostered positive feelings in myself and believed that I could be healthy again. All my life I’ve been healthy and I just refused to believe that this disease could defeat me. I actively fought to get healthy. 

My father took great care of me. He got me food whenever I felt hungry, even at night. The rest of my family was also there for me. My mother, however, was ill herself and couldn’t do much. One of my darkest moments was after my fourth round of chemo, when my mother got very sick and had to be admitted to the ICU. She didn’t allow me to come to hospital because of my condition. But I had to see her and went anyway, wearing masks and taking all the precautions not to get infected. She died a day before my next chemo. It was one of the most difficult moments for me when I had to return to hospital the following day for chemo. When I think of it now, I wish that whole year did not exist at all. It’s almost unbearable to remember it. But I am glad that it’s over and I am able to put it all behind me and move forward. 

Yes, I am content with my life at the moment. Now, I grab every opportunity I get to talk to people about what I went through and hope that they may learn from it. So many people are oblivious to the dangers of late diagnosis when it comes to cancer. I tell them not to take the chance and get treatment as soon as possible. I tell them cancer can be defeated if you believe and fight hard.

Overall, the doctors were very nice. But I wish they had explained the side effects of chemotherapy more clearly. I didn’t know that I would become so sick and weak afterwards that I had to stay in hospital for several days. For 10 days after chemo, I would be bedridden and after 21 days there would be another cycle. But it was all worthwhile as I am now healthy. 

There should always be hope and belief that I will get through difficulties and I will one day be better. That day may not be tomorrow or the day after, but that day will surely come. That was the notion that kept me going even in the darkest hours of my ordeal. 

 Thank you. I just hope other people who have been diagnosed with cancer stay positive and optimistic. It really helps. I never miss a chance to say that to them, and to share my own experiences with them.

Photography by Rishi Amatya, V.E.N.T! Magazine.