Hello everyone. I am Aastha. I am doing my M.B.A. in Human resource from Bhartiya Vidyapeeth Deemed University Pune.

“AASTHA” which literary means trust , a trust not at its core but at its zenith. A trust that can't be shaken , a trust that no man can ever have on another but a trust one has on the almighty GOD. A trust that I have on myself. But this trust was not gained in a day or two but with the continuous love and support of a few people for years together.

I was just 7 years old when it was detected that I am diabetic. At that time I didn't knew what it actually meant but with the passage of time as I was restricted from taking several things like sweets and specially chocolate which appeared quite lucrative at that time I slowly realized its meaning. Whenever I went to parties I was not allowed to eat the way other children of same age did and this surely irritated me a lot. I a kind of developed a feeling of being abnormal I started hating people who stopped me from doing my wish.

It was at this time I came into contact with my most loving and respectable Dr.uncle as I call him and Dr.Rishi shukla as the world knows him. And I must tell this that he is not just a doctor to me but means much more than that. He holds a very important place in my life, a guide, a philosopher, a friend, an elderly person and what not.

He is the person who told me what diabetes really is. He says “It's a way of living”. Its not a disease as people call it , and know it but it's a PROBLEM that has to be fought and overcome with. He along with people like Mr.Praveen sachdeva or our dear Praveen bhaiya as we lovingly call him showed me the way so bright and so unknown to me till now.

Then came S.P.A.D. in my life. S.P.A.D. society for prevention and awareness of diabetes which started 11 years back and has gained tremendous success till date. The society aims at spreading awareness amongst people regarding diabetes and is working day in and day out for this.

These years with S.P.A.D. have been really very important to me in my life because its in these days that I gained my AASTHA in myself to say “I am diabetic” and do not feel guilty, ashamed, or bad about it. On the contrary I feel proud that I am leading a much better life than other girls of the same age.

It has been almost a year I have been living in pune. It was the first time I left my parents and my place to live in between the people entirely new and absolutely unknown to me. My parents have very caring and very possessive for me for the fact that I being the only child and that too with such a problem and specially my mother. At first they hesitated me to send so far of to study but when I bagged first rank in the entrance exam for my institute, they became confident that their daughter is no different, but actually much better than other children.

Diabetes I think has helped me a lot to make up my career because it is one big reason for me to become independent and my parents want me to have a standing of my own, much more than others.

Hence I can just say that diabetes and SPAD has helped me to cover the distance from being AASTHA SRIVASTAVA to Aastha. From a girl who was identified from being the daughter or someone or something of someone to a person having her own identity.

I am proud of my parents, my friends, my doctor uncle and all others who are part of my life and I am really thankful to God to have made me the way I am today.

Thank you