Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2022: The Survivors’ Stories ​

Harper’s Bazaar Arabia and Estée Lauder Companies have once again partnered up this October to celebrate and honour the campaign’s 30th Anniversary with four empowering and inspirational Middle Eastern women who have survived breast cancer

Did you know that globally, breast cancer has caused the greatest number of cancer-related deaths among women?

This is exactly why it is incredibly important that we continue to raise awareness for breast cancer – the disease has now surpassed lung cancer and has become one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers with an estimate of 2.3 million new cases – this estimate itself was only in 2020.

This month, Estée Lauder Companies and Bazaar Arabia come together to showcase a series of videos aligning with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The episodes will discuss an array of important topics around the matter, including sharing the stories of inspiring four inspirational Middle Eastern survivors such as Sahar Bahrawi, Mayadah Bahareth, Nahid Mubarak Al-Naqbi and Stephanie El Khoury.

Additionally, the women will discuss everything from their personal journeys with breast cancer, to how they beat the disease. Additionally, the talking points will include important topics such as self-examination and early detection to those whose main objective is to spread awareness across the region.

Here, Bazaar Arabia shares the official trailer, full episodes, facts about breast cancer and exclusive interviews with the survivors…

Survivor Stories: Stephanie El Khoury | Episode One

Harper’s Bazaar Arabia (HBA): You mention in the video your relationship with your husband became stronger than ever, how were you able to support each other in such a trying time?

Stephanie El Khoury (SEK): You build the future in your head, and you imagine them in it no matter what. After the diagnosis, you start realizing how the people you love will get affected by this forever and your heart breaks when you think that you might never see them again and that’s when you start the race against time. You finally get to understand that at any given moment in your life everything you know can come to an end. I think this thought goes to both the cancer patient and their loved ones. You start being more kind, understanding, loving, transparent and you let go of all the ego you have as a human being.

Of course, it wasn’t all butterflies and rainbows, and some days would be very challenging but we were each other’s biggest supporters and we went through all of it hand in hand. It was all during COVID, so we go to spend our first year as a married couple at home together. We got to dissociate from everything outside and took the time that was much needed to really take care of ourselves and each other. 

HBA: After your battle with breast cancer, you started saying ‘yes’ more, you got married and relocated to Paris – what advice would you give to someone wanting to change their own life too?

SEK: The only good moment to change something in your life is NOW. The present is the only moment you have control over. Everything that comes after that is unknown. So don’t wait for something as big as cancer to happen to realize that. Appreciate every minute of your day and take that leap of faith, listen to your guts and follow your dreams.

Even if you fail, the satisfaction and fulfilment you get after just trying is incomparable.

HBA: You were diagnosed with breast cancer at only 27 years old, do you feel this affected you majorly in what is such a prime time of your life?

SEK: At first I felt like all my plans and dreams were put to hold. Dreams of travelling the world, getting married, doing my master’s, building a career and having a family. During 2020 everyone my age in Lebanon had their dreams on hold because of the economic situation and because of covid, the entire world was on pause. That year gave me time to reflect on my life, and once everything slowly came back to normal and I was done with my double mastectomy, Anthony and I took the decision of selling everything we had in Lebanon and leaving for Paris.

I am aware that I will never have a “normal” life and the fear of recurrence will stay in the back of my mind and in the way of everything I wish to do. Breast cancer diagnosis at 26 years old did affect me majorly as a person but I am a strong believer in “everything happens for a reason” I know I won’t get to accomplish everything that was on my list but at least now I know that a “list” is pointless, and the real challenge is to live every day as if it was the last.

Survior Stories: Sahar Bahrawi and Mayadah Bahareth | Episode Two

Mayadah Bahareth

Harper’s Bazaar Arabia (HBA): Do you feel as though being diagnosed with breast cancer simultaneously and going through a similar hardship together created strength in you both to carry on fighting for each other?

Mayadah Bahareth (MB): Yes, definitely the fact that my daughter was diagnosed too gave me a lot of strength. I felt a huge responsibility towards her, I didn’t have the luxury to be spoiled or pampered, my daughter was sick, and I needed to be strong and beside her for support.

HBA: You mention how important it is for a patient to maintain inner peace to be sure recovery will take place – what advice would you give to those who don’t know where to start in their journey to inner peace?

MB: Well, I personally found solace in my faith, a friend of mine bought me one of these online programs which help people find their inner peace. A cancer patient lives with fear in my case it was double as I had to handle the fear for my daughter too. The program taught me to be aware of my feelings, taught me to realize the bad thoughts which produce fear and panic and trained me to tell my mind to stop worrying because these are only thoughts and not reality. Meditation played a big part in quieting the monkey in the mind which produced the blackened thoughts. So in short, faith kept me positive and ensured me that we will be cured. The programme and meditations helped me reach a quiet and peaceful mind.

I am aware that I will never have a “normal” life and the fear of recurrence will stay in the back of my mind and in the way of everything I wish to do.

Breast cancer diagnosis at 26 years old did affect me majorly as a person but I am a strong believer in “everything happens for a reason” I know I won’t get to accomplish everything that was on my list but at least now I know that a “list” is pointless, and the real challenge is to live every day as if it was the last.

HBA: There is a specific bond a mother-daughter relationship creates – after spending a majority of your time together, how do you feel this affected your relationship with one another?

MB: This experience got us closer to each other, we did everything together, it’s as if our worlds stopped and we only had each other.

Sahar Bahrawi

Harper’s Bazaar Arabia (HBA): Do you feel as though being diagnosed with breast cancer simultaneously and going through a similar hardship together created strength in you both to carry on fighting for each other?

Sahar Bahrawi (SB): Being diagnosed with my mom did give me the motive to fight and beat the disease. She was devasted to learn that I was sick, and I had to focus on myself. In the beginning, it was tough but then I started to enjoy life. I forgot about the pain, and I started examining life from another perspective. The first push was for my mother because I wanted her to think that I was ok and then I did feel ok.

HBA: You mention how important it is for a patient to maintain inner peace to be sure recovery will take place – what advice would you give to those who don’t know where to start in their journey to inner peace?

SB: I advise you to surround yourself with people who require no effort – cut all emotional vampires from your life. When you are sick it is about you and only you, nobody else. People around you should adapt and cater to your needs. Make this journey a time when you make your dreams come true. Achieve nothing but to get well. Everything you have been postponing in your life, do it now. Make it a time for fun activities.

HBA: There is a specific bond a mother-daughter relationship creates – after spending a majority of your time together, how do you feel this affected your relationship with one another?

SB: My relationship with my mother improved by 1,000 folds. My mother and I always had a special relationship, but I could never really see how much I meant to my mother as much as I have when we were sick. After the mastectomy, my mom was in a very painful condition, but she could never acknowledge her pain because she was always worried about me. I will never be the same daughter I was after this journey.

Survivor Stories: Nahid Mubarak Al-Naqbi | Episode Three

Harper’s Bazaar Arabia (HBA): After connecting with people who too were diagnosed at such an early age – you decided to share your story with breast cancer online, how did it feel to speak up and spread awareness of the disease?

Nahid Mubarak Al-Naqbi (NMAN): I felt liberated knowing that I had gone through this personal experience and beaten it. Many people who have been on treatment and who have lived with the advanced disease throughout their lives made me feel important to do something that serves the cancer community at large. I felt it was my mission to raise awareness and speak openly about the disease through online platforms and social media. I received positive reactions from members of society.

The painful truth is this disease has been around for a long time but still requires education. We need to continue to raise awareness and educate on the benefits of screening and early detection in addition to supporting research that may one day provide a cure that ends the pain and suffering of many people with this disease. I am confident that the disease will become a disease like other chronic diseases that are treated with medicines and that scientists and researchers will be able to develop a treatment or cure for it.

HBA: You mention how self-care and healing as well as a healthy lifestyle was something you learnt throughout your treatment – can you tell what habits you implemented in your life after learning this?

NMAN: I always tell those around me that there are no correct methods or ways to deal with the disease. Everyone goes through their own journey and experience. Am a very spiritual person so taking time every day to meditate and be outside helped me find my peace in going through this journey. I took this time to become a healthier person and love my body. During my chemotherapy, I drank a lot of water and followed a certain diet. I also started to exercise and try various sports so that my body can get stronger to beat the disease. I also took part in various alternative treatments to reduce the side effects of the chemo. My one piece of advice is not to believe everything you read on the internet. Be open with your doctor and ask all the questions you have to learn more about what your body is going through, it is your right to know.

HBA: You dedicate your time to researching cancer by partnering with Al Jalila Foundation, can you tell us more about the foundation as well as some valuable information you have learnt so far?

NMAN: Al Jalila Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization that is dedicated to transforming lives through medical research, education and treatment in the UAE. Al Jalila Foundation provides financial support for the treatment of hundreds of patients every year, including women with breast cancer. 100% of donations are invested into medical research, education and treatment programmes in the UAE.

The Foundation’s interest in breast cancer research made me devote myself scientifically to supporting research and launching campaigns to support cancer treatments in partnership with Al Jalila Foundation. I encouraged members of my community to donate and I organized a number of events to raise awareness. Beyond donating and educating on social media, I provided a support system to those patients from diagnosis throughout the stages and after treatment in the UAE.

Did You Know…

• Breast cancer in UAE was top-ranked cancer among all new cancer cases in both genders representing 19.64% of all malignant cases.
• Breast cancer was the leading cause of cancer death in the UAE, with an estimated average of 110 deaths per year, 24.4% of cancer deaths in women in comparison to 18.2% globally.
• The highest frequencies of breast cancer cases were found among age groups 45-49 years among UAE citizens.
• In females, breast cancer is the most common cancer, representing 36.67% of all malignant cases among females in the UAE.
• The top 5 most frequent cancers are Breast Cancer in Females, representing 29% of new cases in KSA.
• Breast Cancer is the 2nd highest cause of cancer death in both sexes in KSA.

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