My story
I am Emily, a 38 year old mummy of two, wife, and inspired breast cancer survivor who dreamed of creating something that I found to be missing whilst going through breast cancer treatment.
I invited breast cancer survivors, and BRCA previvors, to write a letter to their breasts as part of a unique, first of its kind book project that I launched after completing my own treatment in 2017.
The Dear Boobs Project intends to start conversations about how women feel about their bodies and breasts after surgery, to validate the emotions involved, and help to start to address the impact of altered body image after breast cancer.
The Dear Boobs book is a collection of intimate, courageous, and often hilarious letters from women of all walks of life who have undergone surgery due to breast cancer or BRCA. It bring the conversations together to share boob wisdom, inspire healing and celebrate the incredible breast cancer community.
During 2017 the project rapidly gained momentum and at the beginning of 2018 I had over 100 Dear Boobs letters ready to share! I was then able to raise the funds to create and print 1000 Dear Boobs books and distribute them to waiting rooms, libraries and staff rooms around New Zealand and beyond.
I hope that all readers, with or without personal experience of breast cancer, will feel supported and encouraged to know their unique relationship with their wobbly womanly parts really does matter. I expect laughter, tears, but mostly that women will be able to better grasp their own experience, and ultimately a feeling of hope and healing of being part of a sisterhood that understands how it is.
I hope the stories will inform all readers about the significant impact of breast cancer surgery on women’s emotional and spiritual health, and offer a unique insight into the often long road to a ‘new normal’.
