FALL 2022
ALINA MEHRLE
DANCING DIVA ABBY LEE MILLER IS DANCING TO A DIFFERENT TUNE
THIS ARCHITECT-TURNED-BEAUTY GURU FOUND INSPIRATION IN HER CANCER JOURNEY
US $10.00
LINE BY LINE A POET FINDS PEACE DURING THE PANDEMIC
“ Research is the reason I can see my kids grow up.
“
KATE, DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER IN 2019
#ResearchIsTheReason Donate at bcrf.org
See more reasons for research and share yours at BCRF.org
Photo provided by CURE Childhood Cancer
FALL, FABULOUS FALL!
W
ith the leaves changing and the arrival of the fall season, I hope everyone can get cozy and cuddle up with the latest issue of Cancer Wellness, our Women’s Health issue. We’re so excited to feature cover star Alina Mehrle (p.40) — someone who knows firsthand the complexities of being diagnosed with cancer as a young woman. I hope you’ll enjoy reading about her incredible journey of entrepreneurship throughout her cancer experience. Issue 16 also features inspiring stories from female cancer warriors and thrivers everywhere. Decades after receiving treatment for childhood cancer, Sophie Tsairis (p.26) details her experience with early menopause as a woman in her 30s. Her story is harrowing but also empowering, and we’re so glad she shared it with us.
This issue features some really creative work — from the healthy, delicious recipes assembled (p.12), to a wellness center that combines relaxation with healing (p.23), to Sara Machnik, who found an outlet to help process her breast cancer diagnosis through poetry. Sara’s work has touched many people across the world and provided her with another layer of support she never expected. We urge you to check out her poems on page 31 and connect with her on social media to read more. We also want to shout out the many companies and organizations fighting for children who are also cancer warriors. CURE Childhood Cancer (p.56) is dedicated to providing research funding and support for children with cancer and their families, while Jeeva Informatics (p.58) is widening access to adult and pediatric clinical trials through telehealth. As the weather gets colder and the days grow shorter, I hope that we all are able to sit back and unwind this season and, most importantly, take care of ourselves.
Natalia Espinosa Editor-in-Chief nespinosa@cancerwellness.com
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Photos provided by BIÂN
BY FRANCESCA HALIKIAS
UNDER ONE ROOF
Robb Leone, president and co-founder of the health and lifestyle club, BIÂN, incorporates integrative healing methods to help manage his cancer while taking charge of his mental health.
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Beauty by Design Alina Mehrle was busy building an empire when she was diagnosed with aggressive triple-positive breast cancer. But it was her cancer journey that would go on to inspire an entirely new pursuit — the much-loved and award-winning skincare brand AMEŌN. BY FRANCESCA HALIKIAS PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICARDO BEAS
“I
couldn’t imagine a scenario where I had cancer,” says Alina Mehrle. At just 30 years old, reveling in the nonstop hustle of start-up culture in New York City, Mehrle was diagnosed with triple-positive breast cancer. “You have no time to be sick, and you have no time to be weak.” Mehrle would have to tap into inner strength and learn how to navigate a wildly successful career running an architectural design studio, Asthetique, and cancer treatment. But Mehrle’s journey would awaken a new passion — familiar with beautifying physical spaces as an architect, Mehrle began thinking of how to translate this concept into skincare, but it wouldn’t be easy. “I’m an architect, [I’m] in construction development,” Mehrle says. “It’s really hard work, and it’s not beautiful like skincare.” Before her cancer journey would inspire future success, Mehrle was surprised to receive her diagnosis — but she wasn’t completely caught off guard. “For the six months before I was diagnosed, I already knew that something was wrong with my body,” Mehrle explains. “[My] food behavior changed completely … I ate half of a watermelon and almonds and nothing else for six months. I didn’t want to eat vegetables, meat, fish — nothing. Just watermelon and almonds.” After her diagnosis, Mehrle talked to a nutritionist and discovered that her altered eating habits were her body’s way of protecting her and letting her know something was wrong. “[The nutritionist] told me that cancer tumors need sugar to grow, and watermelon is just sugar and water. That’s the easiest way to get sugar fast. But almonds have a lot of nutrients and antioxidants, [so my body craved] something to keep me alive and something to feed the cancer,” she says. Mehrle underwent eight sessions of chemotherapy and opted for a preventative double mastectomy. The treatments were hard on her body — her nails became brittle and she lost her hair; her skin became yellow and jaundiced. “[This was] absolutely devastating for a young woman,” Mehrle says. “The world is cruel, so it’s hard to be vulnerable and weak.” But she never stopped working throughout eight sessions of chemotherapy. “I never [thought] I wouldn’t overcome this,” she says. “I always had this [state] of mind that this is just a phase; I will get through this.” Mehrle wanted to focus on what she had learned from her journey — about her strength and resoluteness to never give up hope — and ignore the bad. From this, the first seeds of a new business idea began to sprout. 40
Cancer Wellness
PHOTOGRAPHER: RICARDO BEAS STYLIST: GINA MARIE HAIR: TERRI GREEN MAKEUP: APRIL ANGUIANO VENUE: DESIGN BY ASTHETIQUE, DEVELOPED BY JUNIPER Cancer Wellness
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