Stacey Tompkins Photography

10/29/2026

FACES OF STRENGTH | TALAYNA

One of the hardest days of Talayna's breast cancer experience was the day she rang the bell.

Not because she wasn't grateful to have reached it.

She was.

But walking away from the cancer centre also meant entering a part of the experience she hadn't been prepared for: survivorship.

"I was really proud of myself, I made it through, but after ringing the bell and walking away from the cancer center I was filled with anxiety, fear, so much exhaustion. I didn't even know who I was anymore."

During treatment, Talayna had heard other people ring that bell while she sat receiving chemotherapy. It gave her hope. So even though she didn't particularly want to ring it herself, but she did hoping someone else sitting in one of those chairs might hear it and feel that same hope.

Then she went home and began the work of figuring out life after treatment.
There has been anxiety about recurrence, trauma to process and a changed sense of identity. There has also been gratitude, joy and a life Talayna is very happy to be living.

"I am grateful. I am so happy to be here living this beautiful life. Recovery takes time and it is work."

Today, Talayna finds joy in her family, her "funny farm" and a slower life. She has learned to be more present and to appreciate ordinary moments differently.

She also wants more people to understand that finishing cancer treatment doesn't necessarily mean someone is finished needing support.

Survivorship isn't the end of Talayna's breast cancer story.

It's part of it.

Portrait by Stacey Tompkins Photography.

10/28/2026

FACES OF STRENGTH | LINDSAY

Lindsay is currently NED — no evidence of disease.

But after experiencing a recurrence once before, she knows that being NED doesn't necessarily mean leaving the fear of cancer behind.

Every new lump, unexplained pain or upcoming test can bring anxiety about whether the cancer has returned. Lindsay has had to learn how to live with that uncertainty without allowing it to take away from the life she fought so hard to keep.

And these days, she is choosing to live that life with more joy.

"Go on the trips, enjoy summer days, do things impulsively and take time to enjoy."
Cancer has changed Lindsay's body and taken her through treatments, surgeries and decisions she never imagined having to make. But it has also changed the way she thinks about the time she has with her family, her son and the people she chooses to have in her life.

She has also found purpose in connecting with other people affected by cancer and using her experience to make a difference in her community.

None of that means the difficult parts have disappeared.

"This sucks, cancer sucks and you shouldn't have to do this... but you can be badass and get through this. You can fight and struggle but there is another side of all the s**t."

For Lindsay, living after breast cancer isn't about pretending she's no longer afraid.
It's about going on the trip anyway. Enjoying the summer day. Spending time with the people she loves. Finding new things to be grateful for in a body and a life that have changed enormously.

Lindsay has fought hard to be here.

Now, she wants to enjoy being here. 💜

Portrait by Stacey Tompkins Photography.

10/28/2026

FACES OF STRENGTH | MARILYN

Marilyn has lived through breast cancer twice.

Today, at 80 years old, she's still living independently, surrounded by family and friends and grateful for the life she's had.

And she's still feisty.

When Marilyn agreed to participate in Faces of Strength, part of what mattered to her was the opportunity to show someone else facing breast cancer that they aren't alone.

"There is a SISTERHOOD out there that can help you manoeuvre your way through it."

It's a sisterhood Marilyn has been part of for more than two decades.

She knows what it is to be frightened by a diagnosis. She knows chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. She knows what it is to live in a body changed by breast cancer.

But she also knows what it is to keep living.

There have been birthdays, family, friendships and ordinary days that came after cancer. At 80, there are still more of those days to come.

Whatever lies ahead, Marilyn says she is thankful for the years she's been given and for a wonderful life.

That's the story she wanted another woman to hear.

Portrait by Stacey Tompkins Photography.

10/26/2026

FACES OF STRENGTH | AMY

Five years after her diagnosis, Amy is living her life.

Not the life she had before cancer. Not a return to who she was before treatment.
A life that includes everything she's been through, and everything still ahead of her.

Cancer changed Amy's body. It changed some of her relationships. It changed the way she thinks about time, about fear, and about what really matters.

But it doesn't get to define what comes next.

Today, Amy is raising her boys, building a new chapter of her life, and learning to appreciate the ordinary moments that once felt simply ordinary.

She's also choosing to use her experience to advocate for other women and to talk honestly about the parts of breast cancer and survivorship that aren't talked about enough, and to remind the woman newly diagnosed that there is a community waiting to stand beside her.

"I can't change what happened to me, but I can choose what I do with it."

For Amy, that is power.

Not pretending cancer didn't change her.

Not being fearless.

But knowing that this life is hers. The scars, joy, grief, strength, uncertainty and all, and choosing how she wants to live it.

This is survivorship.

And this is Amy. 💜

Portrait by Stacey Tompkins Photography.

10/20/2026

FACES OF STRENGTH | MARILYN

When we asked Marilyn how breast cancer has permanently changed her, her answer was characteristically straightforward.

"A part of your body is gone but so what, you're still alive."

After her second diagnosis, Marilyn underwent a double mastectomy.

She'll tell you breast cancer hasn't fundamentally changed who she is. But that doesn't mean treatment hasn't left its mark.

There is scar tissue. Bras can be uncomfortable. Clothes don't fit the way they once did. There is fatigue that other people may never see.

And sometimes, Marilyn says, "you do your level best to pretend all is well."

These are some of the quieter realities of breast cancer.

A body can heal from surgery while still being permanently changed by it.

Treatment can end while its effects continue to show up in ordinary moments like getting dressed, putting on a bra, or simply having enough energy to get through the day.

Marilyn doesn't spend much time dwelling on what cancer changed.

But that doesn't make those changes any less real.

They are simply one part of a much bigger life.

Portrait by Stacey Tompkins Photography.

10/20/2026

FACES OF STRENGTH | AMY

There is a version of breast cancer that is easier to show.

The treatment ends. The hair grows back. The scans are clear. Everyone celebrates.

But survivorship can be much more complicated than that.

Amy had a bilateral mastectomy in 2021 and has since undergone three additional surgeries as part of reconstruction.

Her body carries the evidence of what it took to survive.

"There are days when I struggle with what I see in the mirror — the scars from reconstruction, a body that looks and feels different, and the lasting side effects that don't disappear just because treatment ended. There is grief in that, and I don't think I need to pretend otherwise."

For Amy, choosing to show her scars in Faces of Strength is an act of vulnerability, but also one of ownership.

Because reconstruction doesn't erase what was lost. Cancer doesn't simply disappear from your life when active treatment ends. And being grateful to be alive doesn't mean you have to be grateful for everything cancer left behind.

There can be grief and gratitude.

Strength and vulnerability.

Survival and struggle.

All of those things can be true at once.

And there is extraordinary power in allowing ourselves to tell the whole story.

Portrait by Stacey Tompkins Photography.

10/16/2026

FACES OF STRENGTH | LAURA

For years, Laura knew she carried a BRCA gene mutation.

Knowing gave her information about her cancer risk.

It also gave her decisions to make.

At 28, after she had finished having children, Laura chose preventative surgery to reduce her ovarian cancer risk.

Then came years of mammograms and hoping for good results.

Eventually, Laura decided she didn't want to continue waiting to see whether breast cancer would happen.

At 46, she chose a preventative double mastectomy and reconstruction.
When we asked Laura where she found strength through these decisions, part of her answer was knowing that the choice was hers.

Her genetic mutation wasn't a choice. Her family's history wasn't a choice.

But what she did with that information was.

Laura took her time. She met other people who carried the same gene and listened to their experiences. And when she was ready, she made the decisions that felt right for her.

Her advice to someone else facing a similar decision reflects that experience:
"Take your time and make the right decision for you, whatever that may be."

Laura's strength wasn't in knowing immediately what to do.

It was in giving herself the time and space to decide.

Portrait by Stacey Tompkins Photography.

10/15/2026