Parijat Ghatak and her daughter, Shivani, are all smiles before the “In the Pink” Fashion Show organized by the Breast Cancer Resource Center on Oct. 10 in Princeton. EDISON — It was a tough time for Parijat Ghatak when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer three years ago.
The working mother of two children found herself immersed in aggressive treatments of chemotherapy and radiation. She also underwent a double mastectomy and had her ovaries removed.
Ghatak said she did not fit the typical profile of a person diagnosed with breast cancer.
“The cancer wasn’t detected in a physical examination as a lump, and it wasn’t detected in a mammogram,” she said. “Only after an ultrasound, followed by a biopsy, was it confirmed that I had stage 3 breast cancer.”
Ghatak, an East Brunswick resident, participated in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk event held on Oct. 26 at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center.
“Since I was diagnosed three years ago, I was busy with all my treatments and surgeries,” she said. “This is the first year I feel I have the strength to participate and do my part for other women going through it,” she said.
More than 6,000 others joined in on the walk, raising $422,000 to fight the disease, according to the organization.
Ghatak said she decided to participate in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk because it is local and sponsored by the American Cancer Society. She said the society does great things for women diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I am a working mother of two chil- dren, so unfortunately with my ongoing treatments I can’t volunteer as much as I would love to, but I try to give my time and help whenever and in whatever little way I can.”
Ghatak said the Breast Cancer Resource
Center in Princeton helped her during her diagnosis by providing wigs and mastectomy bras, for which she said she is grateful.
“They do great work,” she said. “My daughter participated with me in their fundraising ‘In the Pink’ fashion show, where we both walked the ramp.”
The same year she was diagnosed, Ghatak won the title of Mrs. India International Calcutta.
“Calcutta is the city I was born and brought up in India,” she said. “This provided me a platform to spread breast cancer awareness, especially in the South Asian community where breast cancer is on the rise and, unfortunately, awareness is still a challenge. I was able to do this using the Vonage Extensions app, calling people and organizations to spread the word.”
Ghatak also occasionally writes a blog for Naricare.org, a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to educate and provide means for breast cancer awareness and treatment for women of Indian origin and other minority communities.
“My sister, who was living in another state at that time, moved to New Jersey to be by my side,” she said. “Thanks to Vonage, I was able to stay connected to my parents back in India. My local friends were always there to help me out with the kids and anything I needed. My husband and kids, especially my 12-yearold daughter, kept me strong.”