If you wish to contribute, click here to visit Give A Little page
It’s been an hour since Nimesh Trivedi returned from Auckland Hospital after having his portable chemotherapy pump removed for the week. The pump, which functions as a drip, is fitted every alternate Monday and stays with him for three days.
The 56-year-old sounds tired.
“If you can send me an email [once the story is published], because with this chemotherapy and all this stuff, my eyes are a bit blur,” he said softly over the phone while speaking to The Indian Weekender for a few minutes.
Nimesh’s battle with pancreatic cancer has been anything but uncomplicated, both physically and financially.
While Nimesh is not paying for the treatment itself, the cost of living, including food, rent, transport and other household expenses, has exhausted his savings, prompting him to seek public support as he works to regain his strength during treatment.
Nimesh's Give A Little page has a goal of $18,000.
Living alone in his Auckland home, Nimesh was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the early months of 2026, leading to an eight-hour surgery in May and subsequent treatment.
“Since I am staying alone, it was difficult for me,” he shared.
“I used to cook at home but now I don’t have strength, so I am relying on Uber for food,” he says. At times, well-wishers also help him with meals.
Nimesh left his job as an IT consultant at Datacom in October 2025. His days are now spent sleeping, attending chemotherapy appointments and managing without an income.
“It is really horrible,” Nimesh describes.
“[Post Chemotherapy] I feel drowsy. I sleep at night, morning again - I have a cup of tea and I sleep again for a couple of hours and order some food from Uber and sleep again,” he says, describing his day.
According to Nimesh, each chemotherapy session lasts at least four to six hours, depending on the dosage.
His main respite comes from watching YouTube videos about current affairs in India and studying for an IT certification course so he can stay “updated” before applying for a new job once his treatment ends in January 2027.
“So that I am job ready,” he shares.
“It has been a long time since I am out of a job and in IT you have to be up to date,” he added.
Trips to Auckland Hospital have now become routine.
Nimesh takes a bus to the hospital and returns by taxi. After leaving his job and exhausting his savings during treatment, he said the benefit he receives is “just not enough” to cover his rent and an additional $100 in transportation costs.
Seeking help, particularly financial assistance, has not come easily to him.
On the encouragement of the Cancer Society and friends supporting him, Nimesh eventually agreed to set up a fundraising page.
“I was a bit skeptical. I am not used to something like this”
“But when the loan went over so much…”
His Givealittle page describes him as someone who has always worked, supported himself and valued his independence.
“I had to borrow,” he says.
“Till now I have borrowed at least $12,000 from friends,” he shared with The Indian Weekender.
His hope now is simply to get through the remaining months of treatment, regain his health and strength, and return to work and an independent life.
Nimesh’s life in New Zealand began in 2004, when he arrived for a visit, applied for a job and later studied for a master’s degree in IT at Auckland University of Technology before eventually building a career in the sector.
His fight with cancer began earlier this year after he started experiencing symptoms including vomiting.
“I called up my GP and they asked me to call ambulance”
Nimesh was admitted to hospital, but doctors did not detect cancer at the time and he was discharged.
About a month later, further symptoms, including difficulty eating and swallowing, led to another hospital admission lasting about a week. Doctors carried out further tests and procedures before he was discharged.
During those tests, Nimesh said doctors “took some cells from pancreas to test the cells”.
After noticing pale eyes and skin and initially suspecting typhoid, Nimesh contacted the hospital for a third time. Following another check-up, he was asked to stay and “get admitted right away.”
“They detected a cancer cell,” he recalled.
“It was detected at an early stage,” he shared.
Nimesh underwent surgery on 12 May. He said part of his pancreas and intestines were removed during the procedure.
In the months since, he says doctors have told him his progress appears to be positive and under control, and he describes them as being “happy with the progress”.
“Ups and downs come. You got to face it. You got to live it,” he says.
Nimesh is now looking ahead to life after treatment and hopes to return to work before eventually moving back to India.
He plans to “work for six seven months, have some savings and move back to India for good”.
Although he was raised in Bangalore and has a “big family” there, Nimesh says he does not want to return to the city.
“I am planning to move to a small town,” Nimesh is hopeful.
If you wish to contribute, click here to visit Give A Little page
ISSUE
Friday, September 11, 2026
Volume 17 . Issue
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