Healing circles at ZenOnco.io and Love Heals Cancer are sacred and soothing platforms for everyone who has had a journey. We give every cancer fighter, survivor, caregiver, and other involved individuals a closed space to engage and listen to each other without any judgments. Our platform is chiefly designed to help several cancer patients feel like they are not alone.
Our healing circles thus aim to create a safe space for several individuals to share their feelings and spread positivity and happiness to one another. It is a space where you can relate to different individuals, which is something we all need to get rid of the feeling of loneliness. Loneliness can creep into your life even if your loved ones are around you. Healing circles at ZenOnco.io and Love Heals Cancer are to celebrate each one of you for not giving up. It is for everyone who has had an overwhelming journey and has chosen to heal for themselves. It is for those who consistently fought and are still fighting for their lives.
Each of our healing circles focuses on a wide range of topics such as mediation, positivity, happiness, dealing with mental traumas, the power of the mind, the power of faith and optimism, and much more. Here, we create a space for every individual to share their stories to feel at ease and motivate them to see life from a different perspective.
A glimpse into the webinar:
Every healing circle follows primary protocols that include- treating every participant with consideration, kindness, and zero judgment, listening to every individual’s experience without feeling the need to ‘save’ them, celebrating one another for overcoming their journeys and fighting for their lives, and most importantly- choosing to have faith in ourselves and believing in the power that we as individuals have within us for the healing we need. This healing circle was filled with a rollercoaster of emotions as we were stunned and inspired by the story of our speaker- Nadya Carlson Bowen.
The healing circle’s core topic is finding faith and hope when we feel lost or hopeless. Our speaker for this healing circle- Nadya Carlson Bowen, was the caregiver to her sister, who was diagnosed with Colon Cancer at a very young age. Throughout the healing circle, Nadya discusses how she, as a caregiver, dealt with her sister undergoing Cancer Treatment. She talks about how it was difficult to watch her sister undergo the treatment without displaying her overwhelming emotions in front of her sister. She also talks about how positivity, faith, love, and counselling helped her cope with her feelings and care for her sister.
An overview of the speaker:
Nadya Carlson Bowen is an inspiring young individual who was raised in an orphanage with her then-best friend and twin sister Vera. To their luck, both of them were adopted by a family in the United States of America. Nadya and Vera grew up together and encountered a beautiful childhood full of memories. Throughout their childhood, Nadya and Vera got the opportunity to experience a beautiful life filled with memorable moments. From schooling together to making endless memories, Nadya and Vera were inseparable. In April 2015, Vera was diagnosed with stage colon cancer four at 25. Since the cancer had prolonged for a significantly long time to reach stage 4, she fought till the very end and passed away in December 2015 at the age of 26.
Nadya talks about how every individual has a very different journey and doesn’t want to let their lives come to a halt. Nadya was proud to talk about how her sister never wanted her to settle or stop working, even when she was diagnosed with cancer, as she wanted her to reach the heights of success. Both Nadya and Vera wanted to always be there for each other and wanted the best for each other. Nadya also talks about how her sister never let cancer get to her and continued living like there was no tomorrow. We are so inspired to know that Vera was a healthy individual who never let cancer take control of her life but lived her every day to the fullest.
Nadya Carlson Bowen’s story inspires us to never give up on our lives. Nadya and Vera made the most of their lives and never complained about anything they had to experience. The two independent, reliable, and beautiful young individuals encountered this phase of their life with a big smile. Today, Nadya aims to live her life and her sisters fully. From being a fitness enthusiast to working extremely hard, Nadya is a passionate young individual who continues to inspire relatable individuals with the utmost positivity and spark.
She sheds light on the fact that although we all may go through the most daunting and challenging times in our lives, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Even when Vera took her last few breaths, she was so full of positivity. Nadya talks about how she never saw Vera taking her very last breath. Although it saddened her that she couldn’t see her sister breathing in her last few months, she says that she is glad as Vera wouldn’t want her to see her that way. To date, Nadya never ceases to surprise, leaving several individuals in awe and inspired by her beautiful story of caretaking her sister.
Nadya’s advice to other caregivers:
Nadya Carlson Bowen firmly believes in the saying, ‘Every individual has a very different journey.’ She talks about how this journey inspired her to help several individuals. She talks about how making an impact matters, even in a single individual’s life. She suggests that you should never give up, no matter how tough your life is. You are never alone. Whether you are a caregiver or a cancer survivor, know that your journey will bring out the best. You must be positive for yourself more than for anybody else.
She also talks about how you change your perspective because whatever happens in life, whatever you experience, it can be overwhelming, but you will get through it. She also talks about how fragile life is and how most of us understand the fragility of life only after losing our loved ones. One of the most beautiful things that Nadya Carlson Bowen discusses is how we don’t miss our loved ones even after losing them. They will always be there beside us.
We also took a minute of silence to honour Nadya’s sister, Vera, and honour her cancer journey. Nadya talks about how positivity is an indispensable factor in coping with the ugly disease of cancer. We then had an interactive session with the rest of our participants, who were inspired by Nadya’s story. Every cancer survivor and fighter talked about their journey, motivating one another. Lastly, Nadya discusses how you can’t take life for granted and how life is too precious to waste too much time.
Finding Faith and Hope: A Memoir
Nadya Carlson Bowen is the writer of the book ‘Finding Faith and Hope: A Memoir.’ This book covers a host of Nadya’s life, from her childhood with her sister Vera to all the memories they built together. She then talks about a caregiver’s perspective on cancer. The book covers several topics that have motivated several people across the world. The book allowed Nadya to help several individuals who encountered a similar situation.
Tips from Nadya for every cancer fighter, survivor, and caretaker:
- Get checked– It is essential to get tested if you consistently experience different symptoms that might lead to cancer. As we all know, cancer is often only detected in the severe stage. Don’t make the mistake of overlooking your symptoms. Push your doctors if necessary, and get your regular check-ups down to stay on the safer side. Your health matters more than anything. Do everything in your power to secure it.
- Live your life to the fullest- Nadya sheds light on how it is essential for each of us, whether we have cancer or not, to live life to the fullest. Take every opportunity because you never know when you might take your last breath.
- Ask for help- Do not be reluctant to ask for help. Contact your friends and family when you need help because it can take a long way.
About the host:
Throughout the healing circle, we focus on the speaker’s two emotionally overwhelming yet beautiful stories- Nadya Carlson Bowen and the host- Dimple Parmar. Dimple Parmar is the dedicated founder of ZenOnco.io and Love Heals Cancer. She talks about how she dealt with losing her dear husband in the initial years of their marriage. Dimple Parmar’s husband, Mr Nitesh, was diagnosed with Colon Cancer. Dimple and Nitesh were both highly positive and fought until the very end of their journey.
As she talks about her dear husband, we see her tear up talking about her highly emotional story. Mr Nitesh went through immense Stress before getting diagnosed with Colon Cancer. While both Nadya’s and Dimple’s experiences are very similar and bring about a roller coaster of emotions, Dimple talks about how she never wanted to give up on Chemotherapy and insisted on finishing it. Dimple is grateful for every part of her journey and is glad to spend each moment of the last few days of Nitsheh’s life with him.
Dimple believes that Nitesh is beside and watching over her while she does what she loves the most- helping people in need. She is a proud founder of ZenOnco.io and Love Heals Cancer and aims to spend each minute of her life serving cancer patients, survivors, and other involved people. Throughout the last few years, Dimple has learned her real purpose in life and is passionate about helping cancer patients and survivors. We are proud of her beautiful journey of life.
After Mr Nitesh’s unfortunate passing, Dimple dedicated her life to helping numerous cancer patients and survivors. She carries pride in undergoing her journey of caretaking for her husband, Mr Nitesh, an IIT IIM graduate. She speaks about how many battles she faced throughout her journey and how she held onto hope until the end.
Experience:
The entire healing circle was filled with numerous emotions. It was emotionally overwhelming yet inspiring. Several participants talked about how they would want to be remembered after death. Every individual who participated in the healing circle was highly motivated by Nadya’s story and spoke about their journeys, bringing joy to everyone’s faces. In brief, every individual was proud to talk about their journey and how they overcame their struggles.
Pieces of Advice to take away from this healing circle:
Nadya Carlson Bowen and Dimple Parmar underwent countless emotions while caring for their loved ones. We celebrate the journey of both these individuals and shed light on the perspective of a caretaker in caring for their loved ones, Vera and Nitesh, who were both diagnosed with Colon Cancer. We have had a lot to learn from these incredibly inspiring stories. Here is some advice we can take away from these beautiful stories that have left us all stunned.
- Your purpose:
Finding your purpose is a very long adventure. Enjoy the journey. This quote talks a lot about what we should make of our lives. While most of us spend half of our lives barely doing anything we love, it only hits later when we lose something or someone we genuinely love. From Nadya and Vera’s stories, we learn how both eventually found their purpose in life. While Nadya was a fitness enthusiast and wrote a book after the passing away of her twin sister Vera, Dimple dedicates her life to serving cancer patients.
When uncertainty creeps into your life, you should never forget it is temporary. Don’t let life get the best of you. Vera and Nitesh both reside in the hearts of Nadya and Dimple. These beautiful individuals also opened up a whole new perspective of life to Nadya and Dimple. Whatever happens in life, it occurs only for the very best. Life is extremely fragile, and these stories are the sole proof of it. Thus, each of us owes it to ourselves to seek more in life to reach our highest potential.
While it is no surprise that material satisfaction can never keep us happy in the long run, it doesn’t mean you never give yourself a chance to find your potential. We often dwell on the past and spend most of our lives just sitting around until that one incident changes everything. But why should we wait till then? Why should we waste much of our lives doing nothing because we are afraid? The one thing Nadya talks about is so important that we should never take our life for granted. You never know when everything might just come to a big blank halt. Thus, trust that everything that happens happens for a reason. So, your real power lies in you. Enjoy every bit of your life like it’s your last day.
While Nadya and Dimple will never forget their beloved ones, Vera and Nitesh, for the rest of their lives, Nadya and Dimple are content and independent individuals who aim to live their lives for themselves and their loved ones. As we celebrate the journey of these beautiful people, we learn how Nadya Carlson Bowen and Dimple Parmar encountered a whole journey of taking care of Vera and Nitesh and seeking a path of happiness, positivity, and love.
- Looking after your mental health- Choose life, and it will choose you:
Cancer treatment can trigger several mental health and other traumatic factors, which can cause depression, anxiety, and much more. While mental health is one of India’s most overlooked components, we urge you to seek help through several methods, such as community help or even talking to your loved ones. In an excruciatingly challenging time where you may undergo several therapies and treatments, you might give up on your life and let the trauma get to you.
Note that your healing comes from within. Not every individual’s journey of becoming diagnosed with cancer is the same. Several participants in the healing circle who successfully recovered from cancer talk about how they are grateful for the life they got. They call it their second life and talk about how they learned the very true meaning of life only after recovering. Life after recovering from cancer has been a journey filled with love, purpose, and positivity for these participants. Life can only get more beautiful. Choosing life itself and fighting for your life is a lovely journey in its ways.
The best advice you will ever get is to stop taking everything seriously. While each one of us has a very different meaning or perspective on life, the core factor that matters is that life is all about ups and downs. You will never have only happy days throughout your life. What would have been the point of your life if that were the case? Thus, what you can do instead of focusing on the bad is to focus on the good.
While recovering from cancer is something good may have planned for you, the end note is that you face it with a broad smile, whatever happens. Your problems, or, to be exact, your cancer, doesn’t define you. You are so much more than it. You are a person with dreams and ambitions. You are you.
The journey of a caregiver:
Most often, the journey of a caregiver is their loved one’s healing journey and is always overlooked. While Nadya Carlson-Bowen points out that each individual’s journey is distinguishable based on their mental, spiritual, and social needs, she talks about how we can all learn from each other’s mistakes and learn to become better for ourselves more than anybody else.
Watching her sister undergo Cancer Treatment was extremely hard for Nadya. Through this time, Nadya and Vera spent more time with each other and became very close to one another. Vera’s journey was so inspiring for Nadya that she dedicated her entire life to helping people in need and, most importantly- never giving up on life. Nadya learned the importance of positivity and continued to work alongside her sister’s treatment as she and Vera respected her dreams and goals.
On the other hand, Dimple never gave up on Nitesh’s Cancer Treatment until the end. Although the journey broke her, it made her equally strong. She is proud of herself and Nitesh for never giving up until the very end. Today, She lives daily, caring for several cancer patients and coping with mental, physical, and other trauma. Dimple and Nadya encountered different yet inspiring journeys of caretaking and are proud to have overcome the journey with utmost love and positivity.
Why should we hold on to faith for healing?
While every individual who participated in this seminar had emotional journeys of their own to share, the core factor among all these stories is that we must all look forward to living our lives like there is no tomorrow. We must all believe in ourselves and look for healing within ourselves.
With several emotional stories that we heard, we are happy to say that the healing circle was successful, thanks to our speaker- Nadya Carlson Bowen, and our participants. We appreciate each individual who participated in the healing circle and is dedicated to inspiring each individual to go through a difficult time. Remember, everything is temporary. Whatever you are going through, too, shall pass.
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