Pooja is
Blood Cancer United

A person sits in a sunlit chair wearing a colorful striped top and a beautifully tied patterned headscarf, with soft light illuminating their shoulder and the medical port dressing near their collarbone. The bright, warm glow contrasts with the seriousness of the moment, reflecting quiet courage, vulnerability, and the deep resilience shown by those whose lives have been shaped by the impact of blood cancer.

I was diagnosed with cancer when my son was one week old. I was a new first-time mom, looking forward to all the joys that motherhood brought. A few days after my son came home from NICU, I started having trouble breathing and noticed a lump on my neck — something I had never seen before. My immediate thought was PE, so I rushed to a primary visit to get checked. I was sent to the ER for X-rays and scans. I still remember the very moment that the doctor walked in and told me I had cancer with such a straight face. I cried as I pumped milk to send home. I was devastated and remembered thinking, “My son won’t remember me if I die now. Please give me five years with him.”

I am now eight years in remission and have two more beautiful sons. My boys are my sun, moon, and star.

I am so grateful for every day and grateful to the Blood Cancer United (formerly LLS) volunteer I spoke with when newly diagnosed, who reassured me that everything would be okay. At that time, she had been in remission for eight years.

Pooja

blood cancer