Last Saturday, we had the privilege of hosting Awakin Call with Dimple Parmar.

The founder of Love Heals Cancer based in Delhi, India, Dimple Parmar is a force to be reckoned with. Determined to serve humanity and bring a smile to everyone's face, she is a person who believes in letting the power of love and care engulf one’s life. After losing her loving partner and husband Nitesh Prajapat to the formidable disease at an extremely young age (and having married him even after he received a Stage IV cancer diagnosis), Dimple has applied her business and entrepreneurial skills to guide and support those battling cancer. Her organization aims to provide information on natural self-care – healthy food, meditation, and exercise – and complementary therapies to heal body, mind, and soul. She also aims to assist with the emotional and spiritual dimensions of cancer, aiding families to discover that illness can sometimes lead to a richer and fuller life, and offering genuine community for those facing a cancer diagnosis,

We'll post the transcript of the call soon, but till then, some of the nuggets that stood out from the call ....

• "Not spending enough time when I was a kid with my dying grandmother was something I regretted for years."
• "And I decided that in the future, if anyone asked me to spend time with them, I would choose that over studies/work. "
• "After Nitesh was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, he said, 'Are you sure you want to marry me?' And I said, 'Yeah, I'm very sure.'"
• Dimple said to Nitesh, "You are incredible, you are so selfless and loving, how can a person be like this?" And she now believes that that was his time to go, when he was in this pure state. A few days later, he was in the ICU.
• "His physical body was greatly weakened over the last few months, but he was calm and happy."
• "During his last days, his heart was full of joy."
• "I came to, what can I do right now to help him prepare for his death."
• "I am so happy and I am so glad that Nitesh's frame of mind when he passed away was loving and wanting to serve people, because as we've learnt from the Buddhist tradition (Vipassana meditation), your mind-state when you die will be the seed/brain-child of the mind-state for your next birth."
• Dimple has been invited to teach doctors about love and compassion in the Indian Institute of Public Health in Ahmedabad.
• The organization that Dimple founded in India is Love Heals Cancer (LHC). "We are a community of patients, caregivers and volunteers dedicated to help each other. We endeavour to provide support, information, and services to help people in their journey against Cancer." https://www.lovehealscancer.org
• Core belief: "We believe that love & care are greatest healing powers that can improve the quality of life and help people in their fight against Cancer."
• "LHC has collated extensive information on various healing options like unconventional & Integrated therapies. We also provide sources to help you explore the psychological and spiritual aspects of Cancer."
• Among their other activities, LHC has started healing circles in India inspired by Commonweal in California.

Dimple spoke candidly on the themes of surrender and acceptance. For many, these values can be difficult to embrace, let alone embody so wholeheartedly. Yet Dimple continued to grow in trust and gratitude throughout her journey with Nitesh. It is not uncommon for there to be a loss of trust, hope, or faith after enduring the death of a loved one; but for Dimple, these qualities expanded within her even as Nitesh's condition worsened. She continually thanked God for giving her the gift of being able to take care of Nitesh and for their beautiful journey together that emerged as a result. Dimple reflected that surrender may not come naturally to every patient facing cancer or illness because it's a uniquely personal transformation. She went on to emphasize that she and Nitesh didn't "know" they were going to surrender, a seemingly simple observation that carries profound wisdom for our own struggles.

Dimple and Nitesh's understanding of spirituality gradually transformed over the course of their relationship as they came to believe that serving others is our true spiritual nature. Dimple expressed that when we give back to others, we are acting as vessels of service for a higher power; that the smiles and tears she witnesses in patients and families are coming from a deeper connection to a spiritual source. By seeing beyond her immediate role and serving from a place of unity with something greater, what emerges is extraordinary: a facilitation of the divine in everyday encounters. During the final weeks of Nitesh's life, he had visions of helping animals, nature, and serving alongside Dimple. "I am so happy and I am so glad that Nitesh's frame of mind when he passed away was loving and wanting to serve people, because as we've learned from the Buddhist tradition, your mind-state when you die will be the seed/brain-child of the mind-state for your next birth," she concluded.

If you're interested in supporting Dimple's work, she invites you to check out the LHC website at https://www.lovehealscancer.org, and/or contact her directly at dimple@lovehealscancer.org.

Lots of gratitude to all the behind-the-scenes volunteers that made this call happen!