Suman (name changed) is a 26-year-old woman. She got married fairly early at the age of 20. She has two young daughters aged 4 and 5 and her husband used to sell flowers by the roadside for a living. They live in a rented accommodation.

Suman was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the second stage and was operated upon at Safdarjung Hospital.

Because of coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown, Suman’s husband’s flower selling livelihood came to a halt. With no source of income, they had not been able to pay the house rent for a few months. An ailing wife, two small daughters to feed, Suman’s husband fell into depression and became mentally unstable. The condition was so dismal that there was no money for even two meals a day. He even took to begging on the roads to get some money.

Suman was referred to CanSupport by the hospital. At the first home care visit, the team learnt Suman was dealing with some physical symptoms like pain in her abdomen and weakness. Though she wasn’t bedridden but she couldn’t do much physical work because of weakness.

The team doctor gave Suman pain relieving medication that comforted her. The medication also helped her become more active. She regained her physical strength. She could get up in the morning and started to feel like her old self again.

Suman also had some worries about death and fears, like who would take care of her daughters, if something were to happen to her? The team counsellor helped her talk through her fears and encouraged her to set realistic goals for the future and to determine to handle every situation with courage and optimism.

Besides this, the team also encouraged Suman’s husband to talk through all the issues concerning him. The major concern for both Suman and her husband was their monetary situation. They were emotionally disturbed with anxieties about how to generate some income. This was giving them both sleepless nights. The team immediately assisted the family with dry ration for three months. This was something that put them at some mental ease.

Suman’s husband was particularly under pressure for not having any work. This was also hurting his ego and self-respect. Realizing this, the team from CanSupport provided the family a push cart. This was like life saving for him and he was able to start selling savoury snacks using that push cart and has started earning some money.

Suman’s health has also now stabilized, and the team visits her as and when needed. She credits the palliative care team from CanSupport for adding quality to her life – which includes regaining her confidence, physical strength, and emotional stability.

Both Suman and her husband are indebted to the team for not merely helping Suman with her symptom control at home especially, during the pandemic but also helping them out of their financial crises.