Kiran: Understanding the Emotional Ocean during Cancer Care

Why We Chose the Name Kiran

Cancer is often spoken in terms of medical treatment plans, reports, numbers and outcomes. All of this truly matters, but the emotional side is mostly neglected and overlooked.

The silence.
The fear.
The exhaustion.
The days when hope feels strong, and the days when it feels impossible to hold on to.

Kiran was born from the understanding that healing is not only medical. It is emotional. It is human.

We chose the name Kiran because it represents something gentle. Something realistic. Something that does not demand positivity or strength. Just presence.

What is Emotional Support During Cancer When Words Feel Heavy

A person who listens without trying to fix.
A moment of comfort without questions.
A space where it is okay to feel tired.

A place where everyone is recognised from patients, caregivers, survivors and healthcare providers.

Kiran Really Stands For

Kiran is not a person.
Kiran is not a programme.

Kiran is about being there.

It is about emotional support during cancer care.
It is about acknowledging that mental health matters just as much as physical health.
It is about creating conversations around feelings that people often hide because they do not want to seem weak.

At Indian Cancer Society, Kiran represents our focus on psycho-oncology. This is the aspect of cancer care that looks at the emotional, psychological, and social impact of the illness on patients, caregivers, families, and even healthcare professionals.

There are moments during a cancer journey when questions feel heavy.

Not medical questions.
But emotional ones.

Questions like:
Is it okay to feel this tired?
Why does hope feel so hard today?
Who do I talk to when I don’t want to worry my family?

Kiran exists for those moments too.

As part of this initiative, the Indian Cancer Society is introducing Kiran, a gentle conversational space on its website where people can ask questions, share what they’re feeling, or simply start a conversation when they don’t know where to begin.

This space is not about giving perfect answers.
It is about offering emotional support during cancer, without judgement or pressure.

For some, it may just be a place to ask a small question.
For others, it may become a way to connect with the Indian Cancer Society and speak to someone when they feel ready.

Because mental health in cancer care matters.
And sometimes, emotional support begins with knowing that help is accessible.

Kiran is meant to be that first step.
Quiet. Supportive. Always there.

When Hope Feels Heavy

We often tell people going through cancer to “stay positive.”
It comes from a good place.
But sometimes, it adds pressure.

What happens when someone does not feel hopeful?
What happens when fear feels louder than faith?
What happens when exhaustion takes over?

Kiran exists to say this clearly.
It is okay to not feel okay.

Hope does not always look like smiling.
Sometimes, hope looks like rest.
Sometimes, hope looks like crying without apology.
Sometimes, hope looks like saying, “I cannot do this alone.”

According to studies highlighted in the Oncology Nurse Advisor Report, social support has a positive effect on cancer patients’ physical health, emotional wellbeing and overall quality of life.

Through Kiran, we want to normalise these emotions. We want patients and caregivers to know that vulnerability is not weakness. It is honesty.

The Emotional Side of Cancer Care

Cancer care often focuses on treatment, which is necessary and life-saving. But emotional wellbeing is just as important.

Patients may struggle with fear, anxiety, body image issues and loss of control.
Caregivers may feel guilt, burnout and constant emotional fatigue.
Families may not know what to say or how to behave.

Even healthcare professionals are not immune. Witnessing illness every day can take an emotional toll.

Kiran opens space for these conversations. Through workshops, podcasts, blogs, community activities and storytelling, the initiative focuses on how people can support each other better.

Not through big gestures.
But through small, thoughtful ones.

#BeSomeonesKiran

The hashtag #BeSomeonesKiran is an invitation.

It does not ask you to fix someone’s pain.
It does not ask you to have the right words.
It simply asks you to show up.

You can be someone’s Kiran by listening without interrupting.
By sitting quietly when words feel unnecessary.
By checking in, even when you do not know what to say.
By respecting silence instead of filling it with advice.

Being someone’s Kiran does not require expertise.
It requires empathy.

Small Acts Matter More Than We Think

Often, people hesitate because they fear saying the wrong thing.
So they say nothing.

Kiran challenges that silence.

Sometimes, a message that says “I am here” is enough.
Sometimes, sharing a meal matters more than giving advice.
Sometimes, acknowledging someone’s pain without trying to minimise it brings comfort.

Through Kiran, we want to remind people that emotional safety is healing. When people feel understood, supported, and accepted, it lightens the weight they carry.

A Community-Led Movement

Kiran is not meant to exist only online or within organisations.
It is meant to live in conversations.
In homes.
In hospitals.
In communities.

This initiative brings together survivors, caregivers, mental health professionals, doctors, volunteers, and everyday people. Each voice adds to the collective understanding of what compassionate care truly looks like.

The goal is simple.
To make cancer care more human.

A Gentle Reminder

Kiran is not about constant light.
It is about light that appears when things feel darkest.

You do not have to be strong every day.
You do not have to be hopeful all the time.
You just have to know that support exists.

And sometimes, you might be that support for someone else.

So today, if you can, pause and ask yourself a simple question.
Who can I be a Kiran for?

Because even the smallest light can change how a journey feels.

#BeSomeonesKiran

Before you move on, pause for a moment and think about this.
Who has been your Kiran?

It might be someone who checked in when you didn’t know how to ask for help.
Someone who stayed, even in silence.
Someone whose presence made things feel a little less heavy.

If you feel like sharing, you can tell us about them on Instagram.
Use #BeSomeonesKiran and tag the Indian Cancer Society. Sometimes, stories help others feel less alone.

If you’re looking for support or want to understand this journey better, the Indian Cancer Society app brings together information, resources and guidance around cancer care, including emotional wellbeing. It’s there when you need it.

And if nothing else, carry this thought with you.
You don’t have to fix anyone’s pain.
You don’t have to have all the answers.

Just being there can be enough.

Be someone’s Kiran.