Breast cancer survivor shares how kindness, awareness, and community can change lives in the battle against cancer

EVERY year, when October rolls around, companies and communities come together in support of breast cancer awareness. From International No Bra Day to tree wrappings, walks, and fundraisers, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, also known as Pinktober, is a season of solidarity. But while many survivors find strength in community, not everyone is so lucky.

When Waheeda Noel was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018 while living in Trinidad, she was a single mother, far from family, and forced to face one of life’s toughest battles primarily on her own. Her journey—from fear and isolation to strength and advocacy—is a powerful reminder that no one should ever have to fight cancer alone.

The diagnosis and the road to recovery

Waheeda’s story began with a small lump in her left breast in March 2018. Like many women, she initially dismissed it. “I thought I was too young to have cancer,” she said. However, when the lump persisted after several weeks, a coworker convinced her to undergo a mammogram.

Still hesitant, Waheeda delayed the test, worried about the cost as a single mother who had recently left her job to focus on a small business. “I had no insurance,” she recalled. “I didn’t want to spend that money when my kids were in school.”

When she finally went for the test, the results were alarming. After a mammogram, spot compression, ultrasound, and biopsy, the doctors confirmed her fears—she had breast cancer.

“After the biopsy, it seeded and spread to my lymph nodes within two weeks,” Waheeda said. “It moved from stage one to stage three in a matter of days.”

More than fear for her own life, her thoughts turned immediately to her children. “I didn’t know how to tell them. I’m their only support—we were living in a foreign country with no family and no help. How could I say, ‘Mom has cancer?’”

Waheeda eventually broke the news to her daughter on the morning of her surgery. “I told her the lump didn’t look good and I had to take it out,” she recalled. That operation marked the beginning of a long, gruelling fight through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.

The loneliness of illness

Throughout treatment, Waheeda learned that cancer doesn’t just test the body—it tests relationships. “I’ve never felt so alone,” she said quietly. “Some of my own family members never called to ask how I was coping. I had one friend back in Guyana who would check on me.”

She explained that many people still equate cancer with death, not understanding the mental and emotional toll it takes. “People don’t realise the trauma, the pain, the fear. They think once you’re alive, you’re fine—but you carry that battle long after.”

Waheeda faced those months without a support system, managing her illness, her business, and her children alone. But through it all, she clung to one belief: kindness matters. “It costs nothing to be kind,” she said. “If someone in your community has cancer, visit them, take food, talk to them. You never know what that small gesture can mean.”

Finding hope and healing

After a year of chemotherapy, Waheeda’s strength began to return. “After my second chemo, my hair started to fall out,” she said. “I went to the barber and shaved it all off. I didn’t want to see it fall anymore.”

Months later, she experienced a quiet moment of rebirth. “When I turned 42, I came out of the shower one morning and looked in the mirror. For months, I’d avoided it because I didn’t recognise the woman I saw. But that day, I saw tiny curls growing back. I cried because it meant my body was healing.”

A second chance, a new purpose

After her recovery, Waheeda returned to Guyana. She underwent a hysterectomy and later survived a heart attack, but she calls herself blessed to be alive—and even more determined to help others.

She found renewed purpose through the Guyana Cancer Foundation, which offered her emotional support when she needed it most. Seven years after her diagnosis, Waheeda is now cancer-free and proudly holds the title of 2025 Global Hero of Hope for breast cancer survivors.

She uses her platform to promote awareness and early testing, especially among young women. “Awareness saves lives,” she said firmly. “When I found my lump, it was stage one. Within two weeks, it became stage three. If I had ignored it any longer, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Waheeda believes that sharing survivor stories helps others find the courage they need. “That’s why we tell our stories,” she said. “If even one person hears mine and decides to get checked early, then it’s worth it.”

Her message is simple but powerful: be kind, be aware, and never face the fight alone.