Mumbai, May 31 -- At just 18, Payal Kumari from Bihar is already defying the odds. Diagnosed with ovarian cancer as a teenager, her life was put on hold as she underwent rounds of intensive treatment at the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) in Mumbai. Today, she's not just a survivor. She is pursuing a BTech in computer science at the United Institute of Technology in Coimbatore, supported for three consecutive academic years by TMC's ImPaCCT Foundation. Her dream: to become a software engineer and help others find their footing after illness. In another corner of Maharashtra, 23-year-old Raja Mohiuddin Shaikh, diagnosed with metastatic alveolar soft part sarcoma, is now in his final year of MBBS at Grant Medical College. Originally from Akola, Raja was assisted by TMC not just during treatment but also later, ensuring he didn't have to pause his education due to financial strain. "The hospital not only saved my life, but it also helped me build a future," he says. These two stories reflect a growing shift in how paediatric and young adult cancer care is evolving in India-one that sees survival not as the finish line but the starting point. At the heart of this change is TMC's ImPaCCT Foundation, which between 2021 and 2025 has supported 603 childhood cancer survivors from low-income families with Rs.2.83 crore in educational aid. From village schools to engineering colleges and medical campuses, the initiative is helping young survivors reclaim their futures. Many childhood cancer survivors face a quiet but painful battle after treatment as they struggle to return to schools, cope with disrupted education, and rebuild their sense of identity amid social stigma and isolation. Reintegration isn't easy; some are seen as too fragile, others fall behind academically, and many wrestle with low confidence or visible side effects that set them apart. "In our survivorship journey, one of the most transformative aspects has been education," said Dr Maya Prasad, professor of paediatric oncology and head of the Survivorship Program at Tata Memorial Hospital. "It helps survivors reclaim their place in the world-not just by resuming studies, but by reshaping how they see themselves. From being patients, they become learners again, dreamers again. That shift is critical-not only for their confidence, but for their complete healing." The year-wise numbers reflect how quickly the initiative has expanded. In 2021-22, 61 students were supported with Rs.14.56 lakh. This rose to 75 in 2022-23 (Rs.16.11 lakh), jumped to 361 in 2023-24 (Rs.1.15 crore), and peaked at 421 in 2024-25, with disbursals crossing Rs.1.37 crore. Altogether, 918 enrolments were facilitated over four years. The need for such support is growing rapidly. TMC registered just 1,131 paediatric cancer cases in 2010, but that number surged to 3,874 in 2024. As of May 2025, 1,544 new patients have already been recorded, many from underserved states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. TMC's seven centres across India provide not only cutting-edge treatment but also long-term survivorship care through its ACT (After Completion of Therapy) clinic, which has registered 5,681 survivors since its inception in 1991. The ImPaCCT Foundation's educational aid spans all levels-263 students in primary school, 314 in secondary, 174 in higher secondary, and 167 in college or vocational courses. Many of these young survivors, like Payal and Raja, are the first in their families to enter higher education. Fields of study are equally diverse. In the past four years, 40 survivors have pursued engineering, 21 commerce, 17 computer science, 12 pharmacy, four social work, and three nursing. A few have even gone on to study law, hotel management, and architecture-proving that post-cancer dreams are as expansive as any. "This support gave our children more than just a second chance at school-it gave them a future," said Shalini Jatia, officer-in-charge of the ImPaCCT Foundation. "We've watched them evolve from frail patients into confident professionals." The programme doesn't just cover tuition. It includes books, transport, hostel costs, and mentoring-essentials for children from remote or economically fragile backgrounds. Survivors are also offered career counselling and psychosocial support to ease their reintegration into mainstream society. "As survival rates improve, we must broaden our understanding of care," Dr. Prasad said. TMC's model is now being replicated by other cancer centres across India. It's a model that redefines survivorship-not as a chapter to close, but as a new story to begin....