Swagatika Acharya is a proud Cancer Survivor, a Cancer Activist she also runs an NGO named Awaken Cancer Care Trust, She is a lawyer by profession at the Odisha High Court, She is also a Trained Professional Odissi Dancer, Sports Enthusiast, Painter, Foodie. She is from Cuttack in a joint family, she is a multi-talented person and mentions her childhood and how childhood is the best part of life.  She defines herself as a very optimistic and very fun-loving person. When she was in College she discovered cancer which the doctor said was a growth due to cold. She was detected with a rare kind of cancer called Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, but as soon as she came to know she was pretty confident that she will recover and she will get through this and come out completely recovered. When she informed her parents and relatives everyone in her family was very scared and terrified since she was the first one in the entire family to have cancer. She also mentioned since her childhood how her father has shared a very special relationship with her and how she draws a lot of inspiration from him. She mentions her experience at TATA Memorial Hospital. She also states the chemotherapy started on her birthday and when the chemo started she started pictures on social media to create awareness and let people know. According to her chemo wasn’t painful but radiation was tuff she also recalls how the doctor told her this temporary pain shall give her permanent pleasure. When she was diagnosed with Cancer she noticed there are a lot of taboos and myths about cancer and that motivated her to start her Awaken Cancer Care Trust to create awareness and let people know about cancer. Before she was diagnosed with Cancer she was working with different NGOs helping others but starting her own NGO was a huge step. She aims for a Cancer-Free Nation by 2030. She mentions how Awaken has worked in providing backward class people with medicine during treatment, Consultation with oncologists, Providing Sources of earnings for Cancer Survivors, Awareness, etc.

She believes people need to be acceptable to problems as well and be optimistic that will eventually motivate them. People should accept both ups and downs in life, She believes nothing can break you unless you want these problems too. Difficulties shall come everyone’s way but sitting back and asking ‘Why Me’ will never solve problems but rather facing and accepting those problems will be helpful.

She feels thankful for being interviewed by Interview Times she feels her story will motivate people to fight cancer, she feels if someone gets positivity and courage after reading this story then her journey fighting cancer her journey be successful. She feels honoured for being interviewed by Interview Times.

Written and Assited By- Ansuman Mohanty & Prisita Das