Ambuj Srivastava talks about the difference cancer research made for his family.

Cancer research has changed my life because it gave me an extra year with my father, who was diagnosed with a rare cancer called bile duct cancer.

We advocated for him to participate in a clinical trial, and because of that trial, we were very fortunate to have him with us for an extra year beyond his original prognosis. 

That extra year gave my daughter the opportunity to spend time with her grandfather. She learned many things from him during that time, which she fondly recalls now.

It had a significant impact on my mother as well, for whom my father was a caregiver. It gave him the time to spend with his wife and help her prepare for the eventual journey that she would have to lead after he passed away. It gave them a lot of personal time together, which allowed both to be able to come to terms with what was eventually going to happen.

It also had a tremendous positive impact on myself. Going through the journey with him during that extra year and being able to listen to his stories, his wisdom and his life experiences made me realize the traditions and values that we still have in our family. I was very fortunate to be able to live those traditions with him through that year, all of which now I’m able to continue in my own family.

It was also beneficial for his own acceptance of what was going to happen. It gave him the opportunity to spend time and reconnect and reminisce with his relatives back in India, his friends from his university days, and gave them the opportunity to seek closure.

After his passing, that extra year of spending time with all of us helped us with our emotional healing, knowing that we missed someone with whom we had pleasant memories and not painful memories.

Ambuj Srivastava has a background in Engineering and  IT and also serves as a Research Advocate and Mentor with the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. As a former caregiver to his father with a rare form of cancer, Cholangiocarcinoma, he understands the challenges for patients and families who endure this difficult journey. Ambuj is passionate about cancer research, patient advocacy and raising awareness by bridging the knowledge gap between patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.