A mother and daughter’s journey beyond cancer

The Star

Life can change in an instant, from routine and laughter to the uncertainty of a breast cancer diagnosis.   Through her journey and healing, Sundarambal Rengasamy not only fought for herself but also grew closer to her family.  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

Transcript

00:01Life can change in an instant.

00:03One moment filled with routine and laughter,

00:06the next clouded by uncertainty in a doctor's room.

00:09For Sundramba Rangasamy, that change came just before Deepawali in 2008,

00:15when a breast cancer diagnosis turned a time of celebration

00:19into the start of an unexpected fight.

00:22That year, the Deepawali was a very bad year for us

00:26because when I was doing cookies, all these things,

00:29I was having some pain on my shoulder, all this.

00:33So I thought it's just a normal pain when you do cookies, all these things.

00:38But after the Deepawali, I realised something wrong with me.

00:44The diagnosis changed the course of her life.

00:48However, her thoughts were not about herself.

00:51It was about her family.

00:53The treatments, on the other hand, were impossible to hide,

00:56especially when she began losing her hair.

00:58I was thinking of my parents and my children.

01:02I think the youngest is only eight years old.

01:05So I was thinking a lot of things.

01:08I was down.

01:09But at the same time, I think I have to come through with this

01:13because I have a lot of responsibilities.

01:16So every chemo is a different side effects.

01:20So my children, they got to see me because I'm a very active person.

01:25But when I ended up with this sickness, I was really down.

01:29I will put myself inside the room because I don't want my children to see the changes in me.

01:34There's a lot of different people, different changes like myself.

01:38The hair drop is common.

01:40I was having a very long hair where I can get an award for the longest hair.

01:45So when I go through the chemo, I have to bold myself.

01:48So you can, at that time, yeah, how you will feel when such a person with long hair,

01:54you turn out with a bold.

01:56So I try to wear a wig to hide that.

02:01That silence, though meant to protect, created a distance.

02:05One her daughter, Pooja Mohanadasan, could feel even at a young age.

02:10So it was a little confusing for me.

02:13I was like filling up the gaps in my head, like thinking it's like a puzzle to think up like,

02:18okay, why is my mom not at home?

02:20Why is she like going to the hospital often?

02:23What's wrong with her?

02:25The only thing that was in my mind is, I want to spend time with her, but I don't get it.

02:30But as time passed, small gestures begin to reveal what fear once separated.

02:36When I was 18, I had a breast mouse.

02:41So that was when I opened up about her, like about my health and she wasn't panicked.

02:48She was like, okay, let's go get it checked immediately.

02:52So that was like an opening point for me and her.

02:55That's when I started asking her about her breast cancer.

02:59I was like, okay, maybe if she doesn't feel like opening up,

03:03maybe I should slowly make her feel comfortable in speaking about her illness.

03:09So when I've survived, now I'm back to normal, I can freely share anything with her.

03:16So when I come back from home, I'll wait for her.

03:19When she come back from work, she will wait for me.

03:22Because when she has something to share, I have something to share.

03:25So we come more closer when there's something for us to share to each other.

03:30And today, after everything they have been through,

03:33Puja finds a simple way to express what has always been in her heart,

03:37through a poem for her mother.

03:40This is like the first poem for my mom because I feel that she deserves everything in this world.

03:48To my Amma, you fought your battles with a strong heart,

03:53turning every scar into a work of art.

03:57Your strength was silent.

03:59Your love was loud.

04:01And in your healing, I found my proud.

04:05So I'm always proud of her.

04:09You like it?

04:10I love you.

04:12So do you.

04:13Okay.

04:14That's the most reaction I've gotten.

04:27and I just took to the lost people and my side.

04:28Will that help fill again?

04:29Please hope ne.

04:30No one is a body.

04:31How many are you?

04:32So do you do?

04:33Can you take a portion of them?

04:34You actually have wings?

04:35Can it make a portion of my mouth?

04:39So doyou take a portion of the length of that my mind?

04:41I have asked that.

04:42So you know, I'm never wow,

04:48because I don't think I'm always thinking you should.

04:51I'm happy to think that you've been playing your biological football day.

04:54Because I know something and I'm not alone,

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