In her red dress, Beth Whaanga presents at first glance all the assets to be a model: pretty face framed by blond hair, slim figure. If this 32-year-old Australian is showing off her best on Facebook, it’s not to be noticed by casting directors. A survivor of breast cancer, this mother of four wants to raise awareness of the risks of this disease and the heavy treatments that it implies, once detected.
Demonstration in photos. Beth reveals her damaged body in shocking photos posted on her Facebook account and gathered on the Under the dress project page. Under the red dress, she reveals without fuss and without artifice the reality of one of the aspects of life after breast cancer: a metamorphosed body, a body foreign to the original one. The double mastectomy and breast reconstruction she underwent left her body with lifelong consequences. The pictures speak for themselves. With photographer Nadia Masot, we can distinguish the parts of the body marked by operations and the after-effects of the disease. Arrows indicate the origin of the scars.
“It can happen to you”
Breast reconstruction, navel surgery, hair loss, total hysterectomy, weight loss … We are far from the glamor of the original photo. The effect is voluntary. The daring but necessary step to strike the spirits and raise awareness about breast cancer: “Every day, we meet people. These people seem normal but under their clothes, sometimes their bodies tell different stories”, justifies Beth Whaanga on her Facebook page.
Despite the criticism raised by her photos, the young woman persists and signs. “We want to show that cancer can affect anyone. Old, young, age doesn’t matter. Self-examination is important. It can happen to you.” She calls on other women affected by breast cancer to post pictures of their bodies as well.