A friend of mine from my years in school, Dr. Cherry M. Marquez, practices Internal Medicine, specializing in Oncology in various clinics in Cavite and Metro Manila. Last December, she invited me to speak at the Oncology Unit of one of the hospitals she works at, Las Piñas Doctor’s Hospital. It was right in time for the department’s mini Christmas get-together for the patients and their caregivers.
Cancer patients are very close to my heart. My mother actually suffered and died from colon cancer in 2009. Since then, I have wanted to use my talks to somehow add value to the lives of cancer patients, to bring inspiration and put a smile on their faces. My hope is that, even for a brief moment, through my image branding topics, they can feel a little bit better.
For patients battling cancer, it is is of utmost importance to remain strong, positive and confident in order to beat the disease. This isn’t easy, as many cancer sufferers go through a range of emotions, not just from the illness and treatment, but also from its effects. Losing your hair and eyebrows, for instance, can actually be a big deal, and a reason for someone to lose their sense of self. Knowing this, I put together a Look Good, Feel Good talk for my session that day.
We started the session with a prayer led by Dr. Marquez. After this, I proceeded to share the secrets of looking good with the group. I spoke about how to look good by understanding body shapes, and knowing the right color and style that suits each one. I also touched on how to feel confident in the way you look and carry yourself.
My audience consisted of patients and staff from the Oncology Department, ranging in age from 25 years to members of the senior citizen community. One attendee I was happy to see was our batch mate, Jo Barcil, who is a cancer survivor.
Following the talk, we ended the session with a fun and festive Christmas party merienda. As I chatted with some of the participants, I received feedback that the session actually helped them to feel better. They were able to see themselves as beautiful, and thereby feel more confident, in spite of all that they had been through.
Here’s a little video I’d like to share from our touching session that day.
It would be my honor to be able to reach out and speak to more people in need of a confidence boost, particularly members of cancer associations. Be it through my current connections, doctors, or even NGO’s and private organizations looking to put together outreach programs for cancer patients and survivors, I would love to take part.
Even large corporations, churches, school organizations, and individuals can make a difference here, by celebrating birthdays and other milestones with a cancer foundation, featuring an inspirational image talk for those who need it the most. If you are interested to work with me on something like this, please send me a message here or at https://radianceimageconsultancy.com.