Kreena is a Breast Cancer thriver, diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2013, who is writing her first book on her journey. She is an activist in the South Asian community, a Mother of four children born through Surrogacy and an ambassador for Estée Lauder Companies UK & Ireland Breast Cancer Campaign. Here’s our exclusive interview with Kreena.
At what age do you think women must start learning to examine themselves for Breast cancer?
I believe that self-checking and being comfortable with our breasts must start from a young age. Currently, within some parts of our community, conversations around a woman's body only really begin when a girl starts her period, and all too often those conversations are not held in a positive light. By that, I mean that we are often told that having our periods makes us unclean and as a result, we are not permitted to go close to places of worship.
That conditioning can lead to a detachment from our bodies and all that is natural about them. Personally, I tell my own daughter aged 4 where her 'boobies' are and allow her to watch me self-check so that it becomes part of her normality; I think that is key, not defining an actual age but ensuring that children or young adults within our community are educated in the right way to make it a part of their healthcare routine.
What keeps south Asian women from addressing issues like Breast Cancer?
This is such a tough question, if it could be answered within a few sentences then our work here would be done. The reality is that this is a hugely complex space, one where religion, culture, language and education play a big role. We need to understand the barriers within parts of our community, we need to understand where shame lives and why it occurs. What role does systemic bias have and how can we overcome it?
Please tell us about your quest with Breast Cancer.
When I was first diagnosed with Breast Cancer I was 33 years old. I was completely unaware of the signs and symptoms of this disease and the fact that it occurred in young women. My own grandmother had been through Breast Cancer twice but as a family we never spoke of that time or learnt to self-check, if we had, my own story may have been different. After a period of my own shame, I decided to turn my journey around and use it to create some good. I realised that there was power in vulnerability and learnt that by sharing my story, I could help other women just like me.
How supportive were your family and social peers?
I had such fear when it came to sharing my story, I thought I would be judged, I thought I would be blamed and I would lose friends, family and everything I held close. The reality is that I did lose some of that, that there were lots of people who had no idea how to support me so they chose to stay away. I wished I had more support and that perceptions were different, but they were not. I did however have a small but incredible support team that was there for me every step of the way. It was their support that got me through and their positive attitude that helped me realise that anyone in our community could offer that, all that was needed was the removal of fear and the introduction of education and hope.
What is your most significant learning from your own experience?
The learning from back then that I still carry with me now is the lesson of acceptance and belief. Once I accepted Breast Cancer, I found it easier to live and learn from it. Once I accepted that this experience was happening the easier it became to look for the good in it. The more I stopped being angry with cancer the easier it was to hold on to hope and faith and believe that I would find a life with and beyond Cancer. That is the lesson that brought me here and to my work with The Estée Lauder Companies Breast Cancer Campaign.
What do you wish more women knew about Breast Cancer?
I wish people knew more about the signs and symptoms of Breast Cancer. I wish women, particularly South Asian women, didn't perceive it to be the shame-filled death sentence that it is often believed to be. I wish there were more stories of hope from my community, more representation, and more awareness so that women from my community didn't feel so alone. That’s why I’m so proud to be an Ambassador for The Estée Lauder Companies UK&I Breast Cancer Campaign, to help reach my community and give them a permanent voice in the breast cancer discourse
