A journey of healing, connection and giving back

Sometimes, the support we receive during our hardest moments becomes something we can one day give back to others. 

For Vasudha Tiwari, that has become an important part of her breast cancer journey. 

A visual artist and program director with the Indo-Canadian Women’s Association, Vasudha has always had a passion for community service and bringing people together. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, that sense of connection took on new meaning. 

Her breast cancer journey began with what she thought would be a routine appointment with a new family doctor. The appointment led to further testing and, within a short period of time, Vasudha found herself facing a diagnosis and an entirely new world of appointments, information and decisions. 

As Vasudha and her husband began navigating what came next, they made a decision that would shape how she approached the months ahead. 

“We decided to accept it and face whatever came next,” she says. “Once we did that, everything felt a little easier.” 

Acceptance meant preparing to face the diagnosis, even though she could not know exactly what lay ahead. She drew strength from her faith in God, her belief in doing good for others and the things that continued to bring meaning and joy to her life. 

Art was an important part of that. As a visual artist, Vasudha continued to find joy in creating, using it as a way to express herself and stay connected to something she loved. While undergoing treatment, she was shortlisted for the Art Ambassador of Alberta 2024 program. For Vasudha, sharing this experience is about showing how creativity can bring positivity even through some of life’s hardest moments. 

Vasudha also continued working with the Indo-Canadian Women’s Association when she was able. Staying connected to her work helped keep her busy and allowed her to continue doing something she had always loved: serving her community. 

Her experience also showed her just how personal breast cancer can be. 

“Everyone’s journey is different,” she says. “Our bodies respond differently to treatment, and the side effects can be different for everyone.” 

Having people around her became especially meaningful. 

One of those people was a friend who had previously experienced breast cancer. While their experiences were different, her friend understood some of what Vasudha was facing and could offer reassurance from a place of lived experience. 

“Emotionally and mentally, we felt very supported from all sides,” she says. 

Vasudha had surgery and continued her treatment at the Cross Cancer Institute. There, she learned about Healing Connections, a Covenant Health breast cancer support program offered through the Misericordia Community Hospital. 

She scanned a QR code, connected with Healing Connections and began participating virtually in nutrition workshops. At a time when she was hearing different advice about what she should or should not be doing, having access to reliable information helped quiet some of that uncertainty. 

“When you have that support, it gives you confidence,” she says. 

For Vasudha, having trusted guidance meant one less thing to navigate on her own during an already overwhelming time. 

What Vasudha found through Healing Connections did not end with her own breast cancer journey. 

As she moved through treatment, she began thinking about the women she worked with every day and how many of them might not know that this kind of support was available 

Through the Indo-Canadian Women’s Association, Vasudha invited Jessica Cote, nurse consultant with the Post Surgical Breast Cancer Program at Healing Connections, to take part in the organization’s International Women’s Day celebration. Jessica and a colleague joined the event to share breast health information and resources with women in the community. 

For Vasudha, there was something meaningful about being able to make that connection. 

Her own experience had taught her how easy it can be to miss or misunderstand changes in your body. She had also experienced firsthand the difference trusted information and support could make. 

So she kept that connection going. 

Vasudha later invited Healing Connections to offer a virtual information session for the seniors program she works with, creating another opportunity for people in her community to learn about breast health and the support available to them. 

“That’s how I started working with Healing Connections as a community partner,” she says. 

It brought Vasudha’s journey back to something that had been important to her long before her diagnosis: helping others. 

This time, though, she could share something she had come to understand in a deeply personal way. 

She knew what it was like to suddenly find yourself navigating breast cancer. She knew how much it could mean to have someone to turn to. And she knew there could be another person in her community who might one day need that same connection. 

Breast cancer became part of Vasudha’s story, but it did not change her desire to help others. Instead, it gave her another way to do it. 

The support she found during her own journey became something she could help connect others to. 

And perhaps that is what makes connection so powerful. We may not always know who will need it next, but we can help make sure they know they do not have to navigate it alone. 

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Vasudha’s story is a reminder that breast cancer touches more than the person receiving the diagnosis. Whether it is part of your own story or the story of someone you love, connection can make a difference. 

Learn more about the education, resources and support available through Healing Connections at the Misericordia Community Hospital.