Stitched in Courage: A Breast Cancer Testimony

Haute à Porter
2 days ago
5 min read

From the moment I began the project with "Brushstroke for Life," I have shared conversations and moments with different women who have faced breast cancer with courage; for some, this has been a life-changing event, a clear before and after. It has allowed them to gain a new perspective on themselves and become aware that they are their own strength.

I want to share the testimony of one of them, who joined the group in June 2025, in the middle of the process of making 100 skirts for the demonstration held on October 6, 2026, for the Brushstroke for Life association.

Today I want to share a text in which she summarizes her experience with the disease:

"My story with breast cancer begins when I was orphaned at 17, after my mother died from breast cancer at 47. From an early age, I was aware of the need for regular check-ups. At 27, I started having breast ultrasounds. I didn't feel or see anything different in my breasts, but because of my mother's history, a gynecologist recommended an ultrasound. That scan detected two small, benign-looking lumps in my right breast, undetectable by touch. I was advised to monitor their size. Every year I went, and the results were good. This went on for 5 years. Every time I went for an ultrasound, I cried from fear, but despite that fear, I never missed a check-up because I knew the importance of detecting any anomaly in time.

In April 2024, at 32, I went for an ultrasound because I felt a lump in my right breast. The doctor told me there was nothing wrong and to wait until the next year. Six months later, I felt the lump was bigger, so I went back to the same doctor. She urgently sent me for a mammogram. The results were BIRADS 5, and the biopsy confirmed TRIPLE NEGATIVE CANCER, stage 2A, with the BRCA1 gene. On November 21, 2024, I received my diagnosis. My first thought was: I will not give up.

My partner supported me every moment. It took a couple of days to tell my siblings. I thought it would be very hard for them and didn't know how. When I finally found the courage to tell them, I felt the burden was lighter.

My mother was always my inspiration to overcome every challenge in life. She showed me that giving up was not an option. At 32, I felt fulfilled. I had overcome many trials. After much effort and work, my goals were coming true. I felt at the peak of success—an independent, strong woman capable of overcoming any test. After the diagnosis, it was as if time stopped. All my plans vanished, and my only goal was to beat cancer. I learned to slow down my life's pace. After the first 3 months of chemotherapy, I began to feel profound sadness, and it was incomprehensible to me why. I often heard the phrase, 'You must stay positive to beat cancer,' so I felt immense pressure when I felt sad and believed I wasn't being positive. I wanted to tell my family it was very hard and that I was tired of saying I was okay when I wasn't. So, I sought help from a thanatologist. He helped me realize that what I felt was part of the process, that I didn't always have to be the strong one who doesn't complain, that crying wasn't being negative, and that it was valid to lean on the support of my loved ones.

During my treatment, I set out to find a lesson in this experience. Having had to be independent at such a young age, I felt I had no one who would give their life for me, that no one would come to lift me up. Despite having my siblings, partner, and friends, I didn't believe in unconditional love. It was then I realized I needed my family and friends, and they needed me. I felt self-sufficient, and I was wrong. If it weren't for my loved ones, this stage would have been twice as hard. I reframed this disease and learned to value those people who stayed by my side in the most difficult moments.

I am still that independent, strong woman capable of overcoming any test, but now with a family and friends who would give their life for me.

My treatment was 12 chemotherapies. The last one was on July 8, 2025. My surgery was on August 12, 2025—bilateral subcutaneous mastectomy with immediate reconstruction and sentinel lymph node biopsy. The follow-up tests had favorable results.

Unfortunately, on November 30, 2025, I felt a lump again in the same area. On December 3, 2025, I had another biopsy, and the result was malignant. I had a recurrence in the same area, so another surgery was necessary on December 19, 2025. I will need radiotherapy and oral medication. I am still in treatment.

One of the most important lessons this process left me is understanding that cancer doesn't just affect the body; it also shakes the mind and emotions deeply. During treatment, fear, uncertainty, sadness, and emotional exhaustion become constant companions, and we often try to face them in silence, believing we must be strong all the time.

Seeking psychological help is not a sign of weakness but an act of courage and self-care. Having a professional allowed me to put my feelings into words, understand my emotions, and learn to go through the process with greater calm and clarity. Mental health is as important as physical health, and addressing it makes a real difference in how we experience the disease and treatment.

But the impact of cancer doesn't end with the patient. The family also carries fears, anguish, and emotional fatigue. They accompany, support, and often postpone their own pain. Therefore, psychological help for them is equally necessary: it allows them to express themselves, take care of themselves, and be emotionally available without breaking inside.

On this path, I understood that no one should go through such an experience alone. Asking for help is part of the healing process. Caring for the mind, emotions, and bonds is a way to fight and live with greater dignity and hope, even in the most difficult moments."

For the brand HAUTE À PORTER, accompanying and learning about the lives of each woman and man who has gone through this diagnosis has given us the possibility to understand the importance of support, self-care, and how important external stimuli can be to help generate hope and motivation. If you wish to obtain more information on this topic, send us your details through our contact form with the words "Healing Breast Cancer." We will put you in touch with the Brushstroke for Life association, who can help you with better support and knowledge of the disease.

I must say that with Rosa Esmeralda Hernández Valenzuela, we started the photo shoot. It was a moment where I felt very nervous as a designer and art director of the Kintsugi campaign, as for some this can be a delicate topic. When I first saw Rosa through the photographic lens, I felt a very strong connection of empathy. Watching her pose with such serenity and bravery made me understand that these are not just testimonies of an illness, but testimonies that transformation is possible, if we truly want it.