Chhavi Mittal, who recently underwent breast cancer surgery, has opened up about how her kids – three-year-old son Arham and nine-year-old daughter Areeza – reacted to her cancer diagnosis. Chhavi said that while her son is too small to understand she was detected with cancer, she told her daughter about the diagnosis, and the young one wanted to stay with her in the hospital for her surgery. (Also read: Chhavi Mittal pens appreciation post for husband Mohit Hussein post breast cancer surgery)
Chhavi underwent the surgery in the last week of April. She shared the news of her diagnosis with her fans a few days ahead of the surgery. After a few days, she returned home and has also resumed work. She has also returned to the gym, her Instagram posts reveal.
Asked if she had told her kids about her diagnosis, Chhavi told ETimes, “He (Arham) is too small, he is just 3. I told him that I have hurt my right side and he should be careful when he hugs me. He keeps asking me which is the left side before hugging now. He asked me to show him the scars and I did. He keeps asking me how I got hurt, though. He’s made up a story that I got hurt while running and I go with his story. Sometimes if his hand touches me on the right side and I scream in pain, he gets scared. If he sees me sad, he feels sad. If he sees me happy, he feels happy.”
Sharing how she broke the news to her daughter, Chhavi added, “I sat her down and told her that I am very unwell. She looked at me quizzically and wanted to know what it was. I told her it’s a problem and I am going to fix it. I added that if I am not here for a few days, then she should not worry as Nani (maternal grandmother) would be coming down and staying with her. She knows about cancer as I had lost my Nani to esophageal cancer. She turned around and said, ‘Mummy, is it that?’ I said, ‘Yes’. And, she started crying.” Chhavi then explained to her daughter that she is not old and shall recover. She also gave an example of the C-section surgery and promised that she would be hospitalized but would be back in the gym soon. Chhavi also said that her daughter wanted to stay in the hospital just like her mom and husband and wanted to look after her.
Recently, Chhhavi celebrated the third birthday of her son. She posted a picture with him on Instagram and wrote, “As this handsome man turns 3 today, he becomes more stubborn, throws more tantrums and becomes a lot more than just a handful But what he doesn’t stop being is immensely sensitive, loving, caring, emotional, intelligent, inquisitive and also… my heart It’s up to parents how they shape their kids when the terrible 3s begin! I’m here for you lil @arhamhussein till my last breath. Happy birthday my boy! You make me proud already! Also, I spent a day out with my boy (much needed after the surgery).”
