Miriam was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 26. She wants to channel the experience into something that can inspire and motivate other young women of colour who are also experiencing breast cancer.
About me
I’m married, a proud big sister, and I work as a model and tech professional. I love yoga (especially hot yoga), pilates, hiking with my husband, horse riding, travelling, and creating arts and crafts.
I'm passionate about helping create a better experience and outcome for other women
Having unfortunately had negative experiences during my cancer journey, it's so important to me that I campaign for people like me, using my strength, voice and ability. I want to advocate for and uplift other young women so that their journeys can be better than mine. I hope their outcomes will be as positive as possible.
I feel like I was missing my 20s
I was diagnosed at 26. Before I was declared as having no evidence of disease (NED), I did fertility preservation surgery, 6 months of chemotherapy, and I had a mastectomy and lymph node removal. I then went on to have a reconstruction.
The diagnosis and treatment put everything on hold – my career, my friendships, and even getting married had to wait. It reminded me that even if you do everything ‘right’ by eating healthily, being active and looking after your body, you can still be unlucky and get the disease.
I was fighting to survive instead of being able to do the things I love most
My now husband was my biggest support
He was my boyfriend at the time, and he took almost a year away from his career when I was diagnosed to look after me and make sure I was alright. My friends and family were amazing.
Representation is really important to me
I struggled to find other young women who looked like me. I want to be that for the young women of colour who are experiencing breast cancer and looking for examples of women like them. It's so much easier to believe you can do something when you see someone like you doing it too.
I looked to communities like Black Women Rising and Girl Vs Cancer to find representation. I also relied heavily on Breast Cancer Now’s resources when it came to my recovery. I especially used them after surgery, because they were detailed and easy to follow even when I was really unwell.
It’s so important to wear it pink to raise funds and awareness
The funds literally save lives, but the awareness saves lives too. It's vital we all talk about what's normal, to make sure we know when something is wrong. Early detection is lifesaving.
For everyone affected by breast cancer
Wear it pink this October and raise funds for life-changing breast cancer research and support.