Woman: Redefined
Kristina Hunter, an instructor in the department of environment and geography, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund a unique and personal project. Woman: Redefined – dignity, beauty and breast cancer is a photo book of women who have had breast cancer surgeries, distributed free of charge to Breast Health Centres in the U.S. and Canada.
Hunter describes this project on the Kickstarter page:
I had to look. It was 3 days after my breast cancer surgery and it was time to take off the layers and layers of bandages. I told my husband not to gasp. I knew that I would have to love my body before surgery as well as after surgery. The bandages came off, and it was OK. I cried, but I kept looking at those scars often; and I began to love them. My husband too. We quickly became so proud of my scars. They were my journey written on my skin. I can even say that I love my scars.
But not everyone feels that way. It broke my heart to hear other women talk about not wanting to see their scars, not wanting their husbands to see them, not loving the stories written on their skin.
And so this project was born. It is for the women who will come after me. As they sit in the waiting rooms of doctor’s offices, Breast Health Centres, and hospitals, they should be able to see beautiful images of what their new bodies may look like. This project is for them, to help them see dignity and beauty in their future too.
The artist and photographer ML Kenneth has taken amazing images of women who have had a wide variety of breast cancer surgeries. Women of all ages and ethnicities. With this funding we will turn these images into a photo book and distribute the books free of charge to Breast Health Centres across the U.S. and Canada.
“This resource was long overdue and much needed for the women of Manitoba let alone everywhere around the world.” Breast Cancer Nurse-Educator
Barely a generation ago we did not talk about breast cancer. Thankfully that is changing. Today we don’t look at it – and this needs to change. Today, and every day, 867 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. and Canada combined. This project is for those women and their spouses. They should be able to see beautiful, hopeful, and inspiring images of women’s bodies after breast cancer surgery.
Update – We did it!
We raised over $28,000, the book was published by Second Story Press, and is now available in bookstores – including the U of M Bookstore, libraries and online (Amazon.com, Indigo.ca). Most importantly, we sent out over 600 of the Woman Redefined – dignity, beauty, and breast cancer books out free of charge to Breast Health Centres and educational institutions across Canada and the U.S.
Thanks to everyone who participated. If you are interested in the project, please check us out at http://www.womanredefined.ca.
Dear madam,
I am an Indian research scholar in medical humanities working on the topic of breast cancer narratives. Recently, I found your book on Google, but in Amazon India, it’s not available for purchase. I hope to include your book women : Redefined in my thesis. I hereby request to send me a soft copy of that book to me. I will pay for it.
Thanking you
Rehna mol.s
India