As a male breast cancer survivor, I’ve walked a road many men don’t, facing a diagnosis that most assume could never happen to them. But it does happen, and when it does, it can feel isolating and filled with stigma.

The day they tell you “Im sorry but it’s cancer”, you sink into an unfamiliar abyss. This disease that you’ve spent years studying at a molecular level suddenly takes over your life en masse.

On International Women’s Day in March 2023, I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the ripe old age of 28. I had 3 months of weekly chemotherapy and 6 months of a targeted treatment (Herceptin), and finally, radiotherapy.

It took 14 months and cost me my boobs, my hair and my fertility all before I was 30, but I had my life.

Life isn’t without its challenges, but I’m here, and I’m living every moment fully. I’m proud of what I’ve overcome, and I’m passionate about helping others find the strength to do the same. 

The fact I’d had a mastectomy was abruptly brought back to the forefront of my mind due to countless “are you planning to breastfeed” questions.

“That’s when a wave of guilt washed over me because I wanted to be able to provide her with the perfect drink, at the perfect temperature without making her wait.”