Yesterday morning I read an article about you in the Seattle Times. Inspired by your bravery, I blogged about your battle with the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department and eventual triumph when they declared that you are the only woman allowed to swim topless in Seattle’s public pools! As the day progressed, so did media coverage of your story. This sparked discussions and debates on news forums and blogs about breast cancer’s impact on gender politics, human rights, sexuality, disease and disfigurement, childhood education, privacy protection, public awareness and ignorance. Currently, there are 378 media sources on the Internet covering your story, including The New York Daily, Philadelphia Magazine, Discovery News, FOX News, Pakistan Daily Times, MSN NZ, The London Free Press, and The Jakarta Post. I don’t know how you feel about being in the media spotlight, but as a fellow survivor who believes “losing your breast is devastating, but loving your scar is elevating,” I applaud your courage, allowing your scars to be seen in broad daylight. It makes it easier for me to accept my altered body, and trust that I will take pride in seeing my mastectomy portrait, among the many others, featured in photojournalist Phil Carpenter’s new book, Breast Stories: Cancer Survivors Speak Out.
Yours Sincerely,
Ms. Mastectomy
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