Breast cancer in the South Asian community is a topic that doesn’t get talked about openly. My guest on today’s show, Iyna Butt, knows all about this. You see, Iyna is a British South Asian woman, and when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she soon realised that cancer in general, let alone breast cancer specifically, seems to be a subject that nobody talks about.
Although no doubt the intentions were good, she was given all sorts of strange advice about what she needed to do to get rid of her cancer; like wearing a black bra for example! She also heard that people were judging her because of her diagnosis, some even thought that it was a punishment from God and that her breast cancer diagnosis is a result of something morally she had done wrong.
She knew then that she had to do something about this. Iyna started to reach out to her community through the charity she helped set up called Sakoon Through Cancer. She wanted to raise breast cancer awareness and help normalise the conversation surrounding this area.
In this episode, Iyna talks about her breast cancer diagnosis, her charity work in raising breast cancer awareness within the South Asian community, and the challenges that need to be overcome to ensure that women from all backgrounds are catered for within the health care sphere.
Although Iyna is no longer involved with the charity, she continues to do amazing work in raising breast cancer awareness. She is planning to do this through her mission of DRIVE, THRIVE and STRIVE. She will continue to educate about breast cancer and raise awareness, cultivate strength and resilience through diagnosis.
Do connect with @Iynabutt on social media, and you can find her on Instagram where she is particularly active.
