Cayatanita, Ericka and Nykia have not only survived breast cancer, but have faced the unfair disparities within the health care system due to their age and race.
“I was diagnosed April 4 of this year (at age 25) with invasive ductal carcinoma, which is hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer,” says 26-year-old Nykia. “I actually felt a lump in my breast in June 2019. I felt that my body was off, so I went to the doctor. The response I received wasn’t really welcoming.
The doctor said it would go away with antibiotics, but it didn’t. I decided to get a second opinion and the same thing happened. By March, my breast was the size of a mini watermelon. At that point, I knew what was going on. I didn’t really get diagnosed until I reached out to a doctor for the third time. ”
Rihanna’s latest campaign with Savage x Fenty is in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month, featuring three women who have been diagnosed with aggressive forms of breast cancer.
“When I was 28 years old, I was diagnosed with HER2-positive and triple-negative. So, bilateral breast cancer-meaning I had 2 different types of cancer in my body,” says Ericka. “It’s important for you to appreciate the body that you’re in for getting you where you are right now. And that was really moving to me, because it wasn’t about beauty, it wasn’t about ‘Oh, I love myself. ’ It was: ‘I appreciate the vessel that has carried me. ’ I really give all kudos to Black femmes and Black queer people for holding me down. ”
“I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 32 in 2018-seven years to the day of my cardiovascular diagnosis,” explains Cayatanita. “So, when I received that kind of news, it was pretty devastating for me. Especially, to find out that I was triple-negative, and it was aggressive. There was not that much research out there for us or funding. But I knew that I was gonna go ahead and push through. ”
With every Breast Cancer Awareness item purchased, Savage x Fenty will donate up to $250,000 from the sale of the October and November capsule collections to the Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF), to help fund critical research and support members of the Black community who have been diagnosed with breast cancer; an underrepresented group within the health care system.
We seriously applaud the brand for always spreading awareness and supporting underrepresented communities. No one puts their money where their mouth is when it comes to their inclusive brand ethos quite like Savage x Fenty, and we are so here for it.
