LOVE NOTES

Love, Bonfire the Label x Breast Cancer Sheroes

Our inspiration for this collection stems from a deeply personal experience; Stephanie's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2021 and is not only a survivor but also our "Sheroes" covergirl.

This year we took our campaign one step further and reached out to other women close to us who have been affected by breast cancer. Over the month of October, we will tell their stories, in an aim to imbue a sense of hope, strength, sisterhood and the victory of spirit over flesh.

Franny's Breast Cancer Journey

The end of August 2022 delivered news I thought would never happen to me – at age 42 with two boys under 3, "you have Breast Cancer".  I didn’t think there was much more awareness that needed to be raised about Breast Cancer but I was diagnosed with lobular Breast Cancer (invasive lobular carcinoma).  It’s the 10 to 15 percent of Breast Cancers that are soft and typically don’t form a hard mass or lump, so it is often diagnosed late.

Lorilie's Breast Cancer Journey
In November 2021, after a particularly busy year full of fundraisers I had organised, I raced off to my screening appointment at the Wesley hospital.  I had insisted on an annual screening instead of their 2 yearly recommended checkup and it was actually only 11 months since my last mammogram. I thought that would always protect me. Well it didn’t, and as I was happily thinking when they called me back in quickly after the screening that I could make my next meeting, I realised that the news was something quite different. 
Marisa's Breast Cancer Journey

I wanted to lead as normal a life as possible, I kept working, but distraction through adversity obviously suits me. I found it very hard to use the term “journey” – I can think of far better journeys I want to be on than this one.

Jody's Breast Cancer Journey
It was February 2010 late in the evening, that I felt a lump above my left breast that seemed to appear out of the blue. The process from there was so fast; the following day there were a multitude of tests and a long wait over a weekend for the biopsy results. I had this time to contemplate how I would feel but nothing really prepared me for the news.
Colleen's Breast Cancer Journey

My daughter and sister both had breast cancer diagnoses, and so, in a way, I felt supported by their experiences and their triumphant attitudes towards the cancer. Being diagnosed at the age of 84, made me consider not having any treatment; however, with their encouragement, I decided I could do it.