Born in Belagavi slums, Dr. Vijayalakshmi Deshmane overcame poverty to become a top oncologist. With her mother’s sacrifice, she pursued medicine, led Kidwai’s oncology dept, treated thousands, and won the Padma Shri in 2023.
Dr. Vijayalakshmi Deshmane, a renowned surgical oncologist and Padma Shri recipient, has spent decades working in the field of breast cancer care. Her journey—from a childhood spent in poverty to heading a major oncology department—is marked by determination and academic excellence.
Born in Poverty, Raised on Dreams
Born in Belagavi, Karnataka, Vijayalakshmi was the daughter of illiterate parents. Her father worked as a mill worker, while her mother went door to door selling vegetables to make ends meet. Despite their hardships, her father harbored a dream—that his daughter would one day become a doctor.
That dream, though audacious for a family with barely enough to eat, took root in young Vijayalakshmi’s heart.
From the age of 10, she began helping her mother sell vegetables, not out of choice but necessity. Education was a luxury, but she never let go of her studies. Her determination paid off when she passed her 12th standard exams with flying colors.
A Mother's Ultimate Sacrifice
But success came with its own hurdles. There was no money for medical school. The dream of becoming a doctor was slipping away—until her mother made a decision. She sold her mangalsutra, the only piece of jewelry she owned, to pay for Vijayalakshmi’s MBBS entrance fee.
She stepped into medical school carrying not just her own hopes, but her entire family’s sacrifices on her shoulders.
Setback and Triumph
Yet the journey was far from smooth. In her first year of MBBS, Vijayalakshmi failed. Coming from a Kannada-speaking background, the English medium curriculum was overwhelming. Yet she did not give up. She worked harder, studied longer, and by the second year, she not only passed—she topped the university.
A Lifetime of Healing
Dr. Deshmane went on to become a leading oncologist and served as the head of the surgical oncology department at Bengaluru’s Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology. Over the years, she has treated thousands of breast cancer patients, many of them from underprivileged backgrounds, just like her own.
She never forgot where she came from. Her compassion runs deeper because she has lived the pain of poverty and exclusion. Her consultations are never rushed, her tone never distant—because for her, every patient is a story of courage.
Even after retirement, she continues to offer free consultations, conduct awareness drives in rural areas, and guide young doctors with the same fire she had as a medical student.
Honored, Yet Humble
In 2023, she was awarded the Padma Shri for her contributions to medicine and oncology.But for Dr. Deshmane, the real reward lies elsewhere.
"The true award is when a woman who couldn’t afford treatment walks away cancer-free. That’s why I became a doctor," she says.
Even after retirement from government service, she continues to work with cancer patients and offers free consultations to those in need.
A Beacon for Generations
Today, she is more than a cancer specialist—she is a symbol of what is possible when a girl is given the chance to dream, and a family chooses hope over despair.
Dr. Vijayalakshmi Deshmane did not just rise above poverty. She carried others with her—her patients, her students, and all those who now believe that with grit and love, even the hardest roads can lead to healing.