While cancer is the first hard diagnosis a patient and their family needs to cope with, it’s often followed with many treatment related side-effects that are just as challenging to manage. The cancer treatment and recovery journey needs constant and adaptive support.

That’s exactly what Kishoree, our clinical nutritionist at the partner hospital in Mumbai, had to provide to 12-year-old Sahil. Sahil is currently in treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. As of today, he has successfully fought all the side effects of treatment thanks to the support of our Supplements, Ration Bundles, Hot meals, In-meals that you help us make possible for him. But if we rewind a bit, we get to understand the support that it took to get him here.

Kishoree and Sahil’s most challenging chapter was when he developed drug induced Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), a severe skin inflammation that’s a very rare allergic reaction to certain chemotherapy drugs. What begins as flu-like symptoms escalates to painful rashes and blisters that eventually lead to skin that peels off like sheets, similar to a severe burn. It can also cause sores in the mouth, throat and eyes and leads to severe complications. His parents, like any other loving parents, were so confused about how something that was supposed to be helping him could be causing this. Kishoree and the doctors played patient allies and helped them learn to trust in the process. Kishoree recalls the story for us –

“When respiratory distress, a complication of SJS set in, Sahil had to be admitted in the ICU. I had to swing into immediate action and recommend tube feeds. I guided his parents through the pros of feeding through the tube and helped them get on board”.

Through comprehensive nutritional support and the use of supplements and specific Immuno nutrients, Sahil recovered well. Kishoree helped manage his drug induced skin reaction well nutritionally, and his parents could breathe easy again.

Sahil waits for his visits to meet Kishoree now and reports how he and his family have been following the diet plan she has set for him. He talks about waiting to go back to school, and someday getting a corporate career. Sahil’s primary caregiver, his father, now has nothing but gratitude –

“I had to put Sahil’s health first. It was hard to hold on to my job once I had made that decision. The support provided by the doctors and the Cuddles team saved my son’s life. What more need I say.”

Everyone one of our nutritionists has similar accounts of their own. Stories of hard challenges met with smart decisions, and worried parents met with kindness, compassion, patience and support. Supporting Cuddles doesn’t just mean ensuring nutrition at the right time, but it supports the whole process of healing.