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Coinciding with the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness month, the nonprofit Breast Cancer Confidence Project will hold an opening event for “You Are Whole,” a photography book intended to inspire and support people impacted by breast cancer.
The book and project were born out of the experiences of Michaela Raes, president and founding CEO of the Breast Cancer Confidence Project, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 28.
Amid the expected fears of dealing with a serious disease, Raes can still remember another overwhelming insecurity. It struck her when looking over treatment options, both in the surgical and postoperative stages.
“What am I going to look like? Will I ever feel whole again?” remembers Raes. “All these choices, they were presented cold and clinically, and I had no idea how I would actually look or feel about myself.”
It was through Jolana Hollister that Raes regained her confidence and strength. Hollister, who is vice president and founding chief operating officer of the Breast Cancer Confidence Project, was a photographer with whom Raes wanted to document her pre- and post-operation journey.
A boudoir photo session with Hollister opened Raes up after difficult treatment decisions and the physical changes that followed.
“The approach was much like any other boudoir session, with the focus of ‘All bodies are beautiful.’ The scars that people might have should be celebrated, not given a stigma,” Hollister says. “It’s a symbol of strength, not weakness.”
“I found my confidence in my self-image again with Jolana,” Raes says. “And I wanted to provide that for all the other women struggling with those same issues.”
The Breast Cancer Confidence Project started as a nonprofit in 2020. The organization works to empower people impacted by breast cancer to reclaim their confidence and celebrate their bodies through boudoir portrait photo sessions.
The organization’s events started small, with about five women. But since then, they have grown the number of people signing up year after year, Raes says.
“I jumped at the opportunity to go through the same process with other women and be a part of the healing process,” says Hollister, who also studied psychology and has an interest in therapeutic practices.
“You Are Whole” is a collection of 26 breast cancer survivors displaying their confidence through intimate photographs and recorded stories. The women featured in the book span a nearly 40-year age range, are from across the country, and have undergone a variety of experiences and treatments for their condition.
Hollister reflects that, even with such a diverse group of lived experiences, there were many stories that show their resilience, as well as their reclaimed sensuality and radiance. She says that, in New York, more than 16,700 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and adds that one study from the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention showed 75 percent of survivors struggle with body-image issues, highlighting the need for projects like “You Are Whole.”
“To see women embracing their whole selves, it gives encouragement to people who are just now going through it,” agrees Raes. “There is hope and inspiration in it because you have more chapters to write.”
The Breast Cancer Confidence Project will host a launch event for “You Are Whole” on Oct. 1 at 4 p.m. at the Rochester Institute of Technology Tate Preserve. Tickets are free and can be acquired online. The event will include a cover unveiling ceremony, a keynote address, and a roundtable discussion. The organizers encourage business casual attire with a splash of pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Jacob Schermerhorn is a Rochester Beacon contributing writer and data journalist.
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