Uncovered: A Breast Recognition Project 2021

d e r e v o c n U A BR E A ST RECOGN I T ION PROJECT

Rethink Breast Cancer would like to thank Pfizer Canada for funding Uncovered: A Breast Recognition Project 2021.

Rethink would also like to thank those who have chosen to participate in this project.

Through your contributions and shared experiences as Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour with breast cancer, we will be helping to improve the lives of young people with breast cancer, together.

On the cover: Michelle Audoin (right) and Caroline Falaiye (left) for Uncovered.

Michelle is the creator of the Uncovered resource, and has brought this year’s edition to life in collaboration with her dear friend Caroline, as a part of Rethink’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group. Caroline also participates in sharing her own story in this year’s resource.

As a Black woman, I found the need to create a resource to solve a problem that women of colour didn’t create.

The lack of representation of BI&POC bodies in the clinical cancer setting feeds a false narrative that we don’t get cancer, that we shouldn’t talk about it, that images of our bodies and scars don’t matter, or that earlier detection and screening guidelines don’t matter.

After releasing Uncovered: A Breast Recognition Project into the world in 2020, I saw how much it resonated with women who saw themselves through my own experiences, and not just Black women, but women of colour and Indigenous women too.

However, it was also surprising and troubling for me to learn that a year after Uncovered was launched, there were still women who felt like they were not truly seen and heard during their care, whether it was lack of access to reconstruction images featuring women of colour, or the misinformation about what radiation burns look like on dark skin. This is what inspired the second edition of Uncovered and the theme of Now You See Me, Now You Don’t. The cover, shared with my dear friend Caroline, speaks to how women of colour are coming together to support one another to be seen and heard. This edition strives to shine a light on the humanity and various experiences of the women who

courageously stepped forward to share their stories. And at the same time, it speaks to how the cancer care community is lagging behind in its ability to make systemic changes that would directly impact the lives and experiences of the BI&POC community. This resource illuminates these realities – see them, hear them, act on them.

What inspired me most in this second edition of Uncovered is how there is a call to action, a path forward, a wish list, if you will, to empower those working in the cancer care community to do better in ways that actually support meaningful change.

This edition of Uncovered is more diverse, but it doesn’t by any means reflect the diversity and voices of so many others who don’t see their stories, images and needs addressed in the cancer care community. There are stories of women who felt heard and empowered by their healthcare teams. It is equally important to hear these stories as they highlight that making the experience culturally inclusive for all women is within reach. However, there is still work to be done.

Simply put, this edition is an appeal for concrete and measurable actions that will eliminate the disparities and discrepancies in cancer care so that every aspect of a breast cancer diagnosis can truly be an inclusive experience for all. It is something everyone working in cancer care can achieve if one is truly listening to the needs and concerns of the women sharing the space with them.

MICHELLE AUDOIN Creator, Uncovered: A Breast Recognition Project

No matter the roadblocks, off-days, or rain checks that come, we keep on going.

One of the many things the past two years have shown us is that no matter the roadblocks, off-days, or rain checks that come, we keep on going. We keep moving forward, together. In this resiliency that we’ve come to meet every day, there have been shifts. Shifts that are sounding the alarm to the realities Black, Indigenous and People of Colour have been living, but that many of us are only now realizing the impact of. Community and belonging are important now more than ever, but we recognize many of the spaces and systems in our world haven’t reflected that reality of humanity. That’s what Uncovered represents: amplifying the Black, Indigenous and People of Colour who have not been heard or seen for far too long in the breast cancer community, in our healthcare systems, in society.

We knew that creating this resource with Michelle Audoin last year was just the beginning of Uncovered. There were and are so many stories that deserve and need to be heard. That’s why, in collaboration with Michelle and Rethink’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Working Group, we created a second edition of the resource, to continue this important conversation.

Thank you, Michelle, for continuing to trust Rethink with helping to bring this project to life and being such an instrumental advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion in healthcare spaces. And

thank you to all the incredible, brave, powerful people who have participated in Uncovered. It is an honour to listen to your stories.

You are paving the way forward for all of us in your sharing, and we’ll continue our efforts to get this resource into the hands of those who can help on the mission to make real change, including cancer care teams.

Uncovered: A Breast Recognition Project is so many things: a resource, an inspiration, a call to action, a conversation, a wakeup call, a community. We are grateful for everyone who has contributed to amplifying the voices of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour with breast cancer through this project and holding space to build our collective community of belonging.

MJ DECOTEAU Founder & Executive Director, Rethink Breast Cancer

FRANKIE I am a mother. I am a survivor. I am a warrior.

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hen I was diagnosed, I was in a state of shock, and the weight of my diagnosis did not hit me at the time. I have lost all the things that made me who I was, my independence, my job, my goals, all these things I wanted to do for myself. The reality is I have to rethink what I can do now. My mental health is struggling because I am starting to feel what this disease actually does to you. It robs you of so much of your life and I hate that.

She/Her Jamaican-Canadian Diagnosed at 43 years old Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, IDC.

People don’t understand the cost of having metastatic breast cancer.

Women of colour need to know where they can receive support because there are few options and this is a barrier. A lot of the metastatic breast cancer drugs are not covered by our healthcare system. When I look at how much my medication costs, I wonder and worry that if I have to take this for the rest of my life, how will I pay for it if I am not working?

As a Jamaican-Canadian, a cultural barrier that I see in the Caribbean community is the need to keep everything a secret. The moment I announced I was diagnosed, I was met with comments from family asking

“You don’t have to do this alone.”

me why I was sharing my experience publicly and suggesting that I should have kept it to myself. When my doctor asked me about my family history, I said there was none that I knew of. When I actually looked and asked my family, I realized cancer was extremely present in my family history. I did not know this because it was never discussed. Too many people are afraid to speak up about what they are going through, scared they will be condemned. Why are we condemning our loved ones for speaking their truth?

I want people of colour to remember you don’t have to do this alone, hide it or keep it a secret. You should not feel ashamed. This diagnosis changes who you are as a person and it makes you reevaluate things. Take whatever lesson, blessing or whatever you want to take from it. Take it and let it transform you, because it will transform you into something more beautiful and more raw. Even though it is hard, I feel so much freer now than I did before. Why would you hide that experience? Not only are you helping change yourself, but you also don’t know who else you are helping. Our health should not be something that we put on the backburner and hide in secret. We should be putting it out there, we should be setting the example to others that our health matters.

What would help me feel more seen in the cancer care community is having more women of colour that I can identify with and also having adequate access to information. I want to share my experiences as an offering to others, so they can at least know what I know and use that information as they wish because there is not enough information out there for us.

RHEA

I am a teacher. I am a learner. I am a survivor.

She/Her Indian, South Asian Diagnosed at 38 years old HER2+ invasive ductal carcinoma

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ow could I possibly have breast cancer? The quintessential breast cancer patient was an older white woman, with grey hair and a pink shirt being supported by her middle-aged daughter. A grandmother! Not a young South Asian mom with a daughter in kindergarten and a baby.

“There are unique challenges to being a woman of colour with breast cancer.”

Being part of this year’s Uncovered Project was incredibly important to me because I want young South Asian women who are newly diagnosed to know that they are not alone, and that there are unique challenges to being a woman of colour with breast cancer.

One challenge came early on in my treatment. A few days after my diagnosis, I was scheduled for a partial mastectomy. A few weeks later, I had a central line placed in my chest to save my veins from chemotherapy.

During a follow-up, my surgeon surveyed my twin scars with disappointment: they were not healing well. The 10cm scar across my right breast was already starting to form a ropey, thickened raised scar and my smaller central line scar was inflamed and still painful to the touch. When I asked why my scar didn’t look like the thin, nearly invisible pink lines ubiquitous on the internet, my surgeon attributed my unsightly scars to bad luck. It wasn’t until almost a year later when I was wincing in pain at my central line scar, now a series of three very sensitive knots of scar tissue, that a South Asian nurse commented offhandedly that in her experience, many people of colour have difficulties with healing after surgery and that melanated skin often forms keloid scars. As soon as I got home, I found articles that supported my nurse’s observations: dark skin, particularly Black skin, is significantly more

likely to form thickened keloid scars.

This was not the only time that I felt that my needs as a woman of colour were not being met. As I attended my 24th radiation session, I asked my specialist what I could expect as my skin had begun to show signs of radiation damage. She said that I could expect “redness or a bright pink colour, similar to a sunburn.” I nodded and took notes, though I had never had a sunburn. Over the next few days, I watched as my skin turned darker and darker until my skin began to take a turn for the worse: it was black, tight and splitting open at the creases. The unexpected is an especially scary thing when it comes to cancer. I immediately scheduled an appointment and waited for nearly three hours for someone to see my breast and five minutes for them to declare it normal. Frustrated, I asked why my skin had not turned red or pink as suggested. The answer: white skin turns pink or red, but dark skin gets darker. This single experience had a profound effect on me: it made me feel marginalized by my cancer care team. Here at a major Toronto cancer centre, my specialists were choosing not to truly see me.

My experiences above highlight how healthcare institutions are not bias free.

Covert discrimination exists in the form of delays in diagnosis, exclusion and misinformation and comes at the expense of the mental and physical health of the patient. I believe that sharing our stories is fundamental to identifying, questioning and dismantling the biases inherent in our healthcare institutions.

“Healthcare institutions are not bias free.”

CAROLINE I am strength. I am a mother. I am a thriver.

M

y breast cancer journey began more than 20 years ago, when I lost my mother to the disease. I was 24 years old. That same year, months before she died, I had my first biopsy. I remember her sadness and fear when I told her, and her relief, when we learned the tumor was benign. So, breast cancer has always been lurking in the shadows, yet it still shook me to my core when I learned I had breast cancer.

I immediately thought of my mom, who was diagnosed at the same age 44, and died two years later at age 46, the age I am now. I was struck by the similarities, and I had a lot of fear, but held onto the hope that things would be different for me.

I am very grateful to have had an oncologist who understood what Black women with breast cancer often experience. He prepared me for some of the unique changes I could experience as a Black woman including changes in my gum colour and skin pigmentation. I felt seen, and respected.

There is so much I have learned along the way and every experience will be different, but I offer the following. First, you are not alone.

Surround yourself with people who love and care for you and who uplift your spirits.

“I felt seen and respected.”

She/Her Nigerian-Canadian Diagnosed at 44 years old Stage 2, Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, HER2 triple positive breast cancer.

This can be an isolating journey, but it doesn’t have to be an awful one. There can be moments of joy even in the most trying circumstances.

Second, advocate for yourself. It is your body, so don’t be afraid to speak up, ask questions, and do what is right for you.

Take someone with you to your appointments. The volume of information is often overwhelming and you may not be in the right state of mind to absorb it all.

Lastly, it is easy to be overcome by your emotions. Give yourself time and permission to cry, laugh, scream, get angry, and feel what you need to feel.

As a Black woman with cancer, there was a lot of cultural baggage that I had to navigate. Of the more harmful is the expectation to keep things quiet.

Family members told me not to tell anyone about my diagnosis. My mom followed that ethos and kept her diagnosis a secret. I chose to share my story, but on my own terms. It was very difficult and it goes against how I was raised. But, once I overcame my fear of talking about my diagnosis, I felt freer. Talking about it helped me better understand myself, and connected me to others experiencing the same thing.

I continue to be inspired by Michelle’s vision—to uncover Black women’s stories and experiences on their breast cancer journey. Until the day I was diagnosed, I thought of breast cancer as a white woman’s disease, despite my family history. Because even though my mom died from breast cancer, her story, like many other black women, is never told.

We do not see ourselves represented in the images and stories in the public domain and in the breast cancer care community. We need to be seen, we need to be listened to, and we need to be better supported, in order to get better care, and health outcomes. It is my hope that this resource will continue the dialogue and inspire other Black women to tell their stories.

MELISSA I am a challenger. I am a mentor. I am me.

She/Her Caribbean-Canadian Diagnosed at 46 years old Stage 2, ER+ breast cancer.

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hen I was diagnosed, I decided to retreat and create boundaries, and that is my advice for others in a similar situation. I also announced my diagnosis on social media because I wanted to control my own narrative.

I don’t want to be a Black woman with breast cancer, I just want to be a person who had breast cancer, and have equitable options that support my chances of survival as my white friends have. I had to stand my ground when I started advocating and talking about my story as a Black woman with breast cancer. White friends and acquaintances started questioning why I was bringing race into it because “cancer is cancer.” The reality is, this is a race issue because it is my life and my mortality. It’s about race because the research and statistics often represent white people, and do not represent the trials and tribulations that I am going to face as a Black woman. Cancer doesn’t discriminate, but people do.

I am grateful that I had a great medical team who understood their privilege and were generally willing to listen and learn from my perspective.

This was important as it gave me more energy to focus on myself. My white reconstruction surgeon told me upfront that he did not have examples of people of colour to show me what my surgery results could look like.

He did not make an assumption that white breasts are similar to mine.

He recognized the gap and prefaced that for me. My other surgeon knew people of colour could get keloids - scars which are specific to melanated skin. These encounters were so important and made me feel seen.

However, I also encountered microaggressions that were harmful, and I felt the lack of representation in the support services provided. This was an unexpected stressor for me to navigate. I also could not identify myself in the way I wanted that accurately reflected who I am. If you don’t know who I am as a patient, how could you treat me in the best way? I had a nurse ask me where I was born and raised while preparing me for chemo—this question is not inclusive nor does it help them get to know me as a person. It is a microaggression disguised as curiosity. It is a reminder that I do not belong.

People do see colour but they do not want to see the reality of what people of colour endure.

“Cancer doesn’t discriminate, but people do.”

I chose to be a part of this project because I cannot say we need better representation and not be a part of that change. This is a good opportunity to gather our collective voice because there is strength in numbers to build the kind of world we deserve. This isn’t just checking a box of doing something for people of colour. It is not Uncovered for the month, it is Uncovered forever.

VICKY

I am an auntie. I am a sister. I am a knowledge keeper.

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hile I was diagnosed in 2019, my treatment started officially in 2021. It took a process of me relationship-building with my healthcare team and getting them on board with me, to build trust and get to a comfortable space to proceed. I had the ‘luxury’ of a slow moving and low-grade diagnosis to be able to take the time to really do what felt best for me.

She/Her Inuk Diagnosed at 43 Stage 2 cancerous lump.

As an Indigenous woman, I have hesitancies with the western medical system. In my experience, it often treats the symptom, when I am looking for a cause. There is a mass of abnormal cells and they want to remove it, but I want to know and address why it’s there in the first place. It’s also about my culture and beliefs. Indigenous People have been around for centuries without this system. It’s a new system for us to have to work with, we’re still adapting. This process has been a lot of me trusting my intuition.

The first surgeon I had was dismissive, speaking to me, not with me, and telling me what I needed to do with my body. He didn’t ask me anything about what I wanted or how I felt. I chose to get a second opinion. My truth was more important to me than caring about what my medical team thought about me.

“Know that in the entire process, you have choice.”

The second surgeon and team was more willing to work with me. The hospital had both an Indigenous Patient Navigator and an Elder on site, so I had cultural support. Knowing the Indigenous Patient Navigator was there for me was immeasurable to me feeling grounded and supported, having someone by my side who understood. He confirmed that I was doing the right thing by communicating my needs. It’s so important for the healthcare teams to know these kinds of supports are available for patients and offer them, not only for Indigenous women, but for Black women and other people of colour, immigrants, etc. I think of everyone who goes through this system, and they all deserve a patient navigator like I had who understands them and can help. I’m so blessed that I had someone there. I want that for everyone.

My advice for others going through this is to really connect with yourself, so you can know what feels right for you. Know that in the entire process, you have choice. There is a grieving process we need to work through with this diagnosis, because it is devastating. If I showed up to my treatment having not taken care of myself, not having processed that grief, I wouldn’t have the strength and grace to move through that process with dignity and integrity to myself and what I deserve. And it’s up to us to show up in that way.

I was afraid that I was going to lose myself in surgery. I prayed not only for myself, but I also always prayed for the medical team. I woke up from surgery and just burst into tears in gratitude that I was not broken. My physical body had been altered, but my spirit was strong and whole. That was a big lesson: the spirit is unbreakable and can get us through these seemingly impossible times. I promise there is medicine through this experience. I look at scars as signs that I’ve been through life and I’m still here. Now I get to share my story with others who may need this. That’s the privilege. There is not just the voice of the medical system, there are the voices of all of us.

OCTAVIA I am alluring. I am industrious. I am resilient.

She/Her Black/Indian Guyanese Diagnosed at 32 years old Stage 2, IDC High Grade ER/PRHER2+ breast cancer.

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here is heavy stigma in the Black community surrounding mental health, admitting to needing help, trusting healthcare professionals or authority, and opening up about personal struggles and experiences.

Unknowingly, this has become a part of our culture, taught and passed down. Knowing that these underlying factors have been set in the minds of family around me, there was difficulty having fluid open lines of communication about what I was experiencing and feeling when I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Having gone through treatment, I implore all women of colour who have been diagnosed with cancer to jot down and ask questions and get all the clarification required.

They say there is no such thing as a dumb question; on this journey that stands true. As independent as you may be, have a designated person who is briefed on all the information required for your treatment plan. There may be moments when you are too mentally and physically exhausted to deal with everything.

Going through this experience has shown me how fragmented the healthcare system is. There are supports available, but healthcare professionals often do not mention them. Most often it is up to you to find the resources, get in touch with the doctor to issue the referral, and then follow up with the office to which you were referred. This process is very stressful, especially when you are enduring so much mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. If the healthcare system could create a program

or a system where referrals for support are automated as soon as you are diagnosed and you can decline any service(s) of which you feel is of no need, this can ease the burden of dealing with cancer.

There has been very minimal representation of women of colour in support groups, pamphlets, nurses, doctors and even information that is given to you from healthcare professionals. The healthcare sector still fails to recognize that it’s not just white people who get cancer, Black people do too, and the methods, medicines, practices and treatments that have been created and adopted for hundreds of years have to evolve with the times as well.

Healthcare professionals need to be mindful that their patients are not cookie cutter. While the book they learned from is a guideline created with data from the ‘standard control’ (a white male/female) remember there is a life in your hands that is not white and does not follow that mold.

“It’s not just white people who get cancer” I want to bring awareness to the lack of representation of Black women with breast cancer and be a voice for these women who have to face these struggles and fight for their life at the same time.

You are not alone and I can empathize with your pain. Advocate for yourself. Speak up! If it means going over someone’s head and breaking that chain of command to be recognized and be seen, do not be afraid to do it so you are respectfully heard.

MICHELLE I am a mother. I am a believer. I am a survivor.

She/Her Trinidadian, West Indian Diagnosed at 40 years old Stage 2, DCIS, HER 2- breast cancer

H

aving cancer during the pandemic made it even more isolating than I suspect it usually is, but I would have loved for my experience to be somehow more personalized, with a dedicated person to help me navigate through all of the things that I was going through. I know within the healthcare system there are so many things going on that I think at times they get desensitized and forget we are human beings going through a scary thing.

After my doctor told me of my diagnosis, the nurse handed me a folder with information about support groups, cancer and types of surgeries. As appreciative as I was for the information, it still felt like I had to figure out a lot of things on my own. One of the things I did was join support groups, and for a while I found a lot of people didn’t look like me at all, but once I found a group where there were other women like me going through the same experience, I was so relieved. I want people to know there are so many of us out there. It’s unfortunate that we really have to search to find others that look like us, but I encourage you to join support groups.

“It felt like I was alone trying to figure out how to make myself heal, and it was scary.”

In addition to my cancer diagnosis, I was also juggling being a mom and taking care of my son, which usually means putting him first and focusing on his needs. Especially as moms or women, we carry this extra burden of having to take care of everybody when really we just need to focus on ourselves sometimes. Just make it a priority to take care of yourself.

I remember the first time I looked at my scar after having my surgery and it was devastating, just the shock of seeing everything that happened to me being marked on my body. By the end of my radiation, all of my skin under the arm and breast had peeled off and I looked like I was a victim of a really bad burn. It was horrible. No one had told me that this could possibly happen. I was told to use a generic cream that everyone uses, however, it didn’t work for my skin or skin type and I feel there should have been more options provided. It felt like I was alone trying to figure out how to make myself heal, and it was scary.

I also want others to know that you don’t have to fill up your time doing things. Sometimes you don’t need to do anything, just sit. It does wonders.

It has been important for me to go through the emotions of being sad and grieving, but just also being with myself to fully feel all of it.

“Sometimes you don’t need to do anything, just sit.”

My real recovery didn’t start until after my active treatment was done when I was able to feel my feelings.

Being a part of this resource has been such an amazing opportunity, I have never seen anything like it before. Just being there at the photoshoot was a full-circle moment for me, bringing everything to this moment. Here’s what has happened to me and now look at me! It is just an amazing thing and I am glad to be a part of it.

MAJA

I am a thriver. I am a warrior. I am resilient.

“There was an expectation that I should keep it to myself.”

She/Her Filipina and Spanish Diagnosed at 39 years old Stage 3C Triple Negative Metaplastic Breast Cancer, BRCA2+.

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fter I received my diagnosis, there was an expectation that I should keep it to myself. A big thing in our culture is to keep things quiet which leads to isolation. It is not helpful at all and honestly staying silent can put you deeper into the rabbit hole. It makes it harder to come to terms with what has happened to you.

For other Filipino or Spanish people, do not be ashamed to share your story and speak your truth. You do not have to remain silent, it is okay to reach out and ask for help. There is this stereotype that Asian women tend to be

quieter and more reserved, and I feel like that is how many think they need to behave. Even if someone is more reserved, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be seen. Sharing your story and helping others will fill your soul. Battling cancer can be extremely isolating and if I can help one person, that alone makes my heart full.

I wish the cancer community did more to have Black, Indigenous and People of Colour represented in things like brochures, blog posts, resources, etc.

During my surgeries, I tried to find photos of other Filipina women to get an idea of what I could expect or may look like afterwards. I couldn’t find any photos and this was hard. Our scars, colouring and overall aftermath of surgeries can look very different in comparison to white skin, which is often the only skin colour in photographs or examples available in resources.

From a Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) perspective, it is important to have more recognition for Filipina and Spanish women. TNBC tends to impact us at a higher rate than white women. Cultural barriers, stigma, and inequality in the cancer care community make this a really difficult experience to navigate.

This is why I wanted to be a part of this resource – I wanted to represent Filipina and Spanish women as there aren’t too many in the cancer community who are willing to share their stories. It’s important to have representation for every race as cancer impacts us all. Equality is unity.

Cancer is not a gift, but the people you meet and the community you find are. It fills my heart with love.

To be able to share my story and have people around me just get it and understand what I am going through really helps me to keep going and feel less isolated.

IN THIS

The strength and solidarity of BI&POC voices serves as a reminder that ending the disparities and discrepancies that these women face when diagnosed with breast cancer should be a priority for all who work in cancer care.

S SKIN OUR WISH LIST • • • • • •

Images of reconstruction featuring women of colour Canadian race-based research and data More diverse support groups and patient resources Patient-friendly integrated referral system Culturally sensitive healthcare providers Ethnically and culturally diverse patient navigators

Photo by Nicole Simmons

Faith Walker

REMEMBERING

1978-2021

“She was the embodiment of her name.”

— Michelle Audoin

Faith Walker was one of the first women to participate in the Uncovered Project in 2020. In January 2021, Faith passed away, after living with metastatic breast cancer since 2008. It was such an honour to have known Faith and worked alongside her for the first edition of Uncovered. She was a fearless advocate for Black women with metastatic breast cancer. Faith courageously shared her story as a thriver in hopes of helping other women of colour with breast cancer feel seen. Faith’s story lives on through her impact made in the community, including her contribution to this project.

“My advice to newly-diagnosed Black women is to advocate for yourself. Bring a support person to your appointments. I record most of my doctor’s appointments to make sure I don’t miss anything and also to protect myself. Healthcare professionals often don’t take Black women seriously and we are often not given the medication and support we need. Do your research and know that it’s your body and you can decide your course of treatment. Try to find support through other Black women living with cancer, even if it’s through social media.”

— Faith Walker Read more of Faith’s story in the first Uncovered resource from 2020.

CONTRIBUTORS

VONNY LORDE (they/them) aka LastnameLorde is a Photographer and Creative Director with unique expertise in film photography. Their chronicles are documented in their book FILMFORFUN which operates as an annual photo exhibit. Vonny’s work can be seen in Noisey, Complex, and in alignment with brand campaigns with Chanel, Budlight, Sony and Warner Music.

“I really wanted to be a part of this project because I’m a firm believer that it is important for women, especially women of colour, to be seen from our own gaze. Too often we are forced to view ourselves from the gaze of someone who doesn’t represent us and our community which leads to inaccurate representation. It’s so important for women to reclaim their power and voice, and I believe that this project greatly represents that.”

CHRRIS LOWE (she/her) is a

Mississauga based film director, video editor and creator/host of the Good Conversation podcast with experience in music videos, short films, documentaries and commercials. Chrris’s focus is always on thoughtful and honest representation of her subjects. Often with a naturalistic focus on design elements like colour story, location, composition and styling, that brings the subject to the forefront of the story, Chrris’s work explores the contrast of life experiences and our ability to hold space for many different ideas, emotions and thoughts simultaneously.

Resulting in beautiful and thought-provoking work.

“I wanted to be a part of this project because it is extremely important to me to tell stories that are not often heard.

These women have so much knowledge to share and I’m honored to hold space for them and represent them in an honest and beautiful way.”

JASMIN WINNIE STEPHEN

JASMINE MERINSKY (she/her)

(she/her) is a modern makeup

found that her calling was to help make the world a better place, through the beauty industry. Jasmine has over 10 years of experience working as a hair and makeup pro and has worked with celebrities like Samira Wiley, Elaine Welteroth and Tia Mowry.

artist based in Toronto, Canada.

She trained for makeup in film and television at the world-renowned Sheridan College’s Oakville campus.

She’s passionate about the creative process, exploring artistic expression, supported by obsessive preparation and meticulous research, to find the appropriate creative solution. She loves using her art to uncover her subject’s personality, creativity and vibe through makeup.

“I wanted to be a part of this project so I can help uplift these beautiful, strong women to share their stories and help bring awareness. This process really opened my eyes and really reminded me what is important in life. I’m so thankful to have met and worked with this team!

Truly changed my life, so so so grateful!”

“The women’s stories that were shared with me while getting glam were so powerful and reminded me of why I do what I do.”

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Uncovered would not exist if it were not for Michelle Audoin choosing to create change and do something about the lack of representation she both has heard from others and experienced first-hand. Thank you, Michelle, for giving us the opportunity to help your vision become a reality so other Black, Indigenous and People of Colour can see themselves more accurately represented in the breast cancer community and healthcare system.

CREATOR Michelle Audoin CO-CREATORS Rethink’s Equity, Diversity + Inclusion Working Group (Michelle Audoin, Caroline Falaiye + Jasmine Sikand) FOUNDER, RETHINK BREAST CANCER MJ DeCoteau PROJECT PRODUCER + DIRECTOR Jasmine Sikand PROJECT MANAGERS Kendra Hinds + Alex Hourigan PHOTOGRAPHER Vonny Lorde HAIR Jasmine Merinsky MAKEUP Jasmin Winnie Stephen GRAPHIC DESIGNER Lisa Omore SET DESIGNER Frances Santiago PORTRAIT OF ILLUMINATION—short film series DIRECTOR + EDITOR Chrris Lowe DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Charles Graham 1ST AC + GAFFER Zachary Guy AUDIO Ilich Mejia

ABOUT Rethink Breast Cancer is your breast cancer movement. We’re a charity based in Canada with a global community, known for being the changemakers and rethinking the way we talk about the realities of breast cancer.

Rethink educates, empowers and advocates for those who are concerned about and affected by breast cancer, helping them live better and longer.

We foster spaces to connect, listen, empower and rethink breast cancer, together, putting the community’s voices firmly at the centre of our work, with an impact that improves the experience of all in the ways that matter most.

To read more from the participants and this project, visit rethinkbreastcancer.com/uncovered WEBSITE rethinkbreastcancer.com INSTAGRAM @rethinkbreastcancer FACEBOOK @rethinkbreastcancer TWITTER @rethinktweet YOUTUBE Rethink Breast Cancer

JOIN OUR MOVEMENT Are you a person with breast cancer looking to connect with others?

The Rethink Network provides a safe space for community and conversations amongst people experiencing breast cancer at any stage.

It is a place to get support, have your questions answered, engage in meaningful conversations, learn and inspire, and connect with others who just get it. rethinkbreastcancer.com/network