Meet AnaOno agent, Asha Miller aka Dear Cancer It’s Me. Asha is a wife, mother and Breasties ambassador. She fearlessly rocked the runway in our 2020 AnaOno x #Cancerland New York Fashion Week show.
Asha’s Breast Cancer Story:
Diagnosed in 2017 with Stage 3 breast cancer ER/PR+ HER2- IDC & DCIS
Treatment: Double mastectomy with reconstruction
Fun fact:
Asha loves singing and dancing, as well as anything that gets her body moving. She’s also a New Yorker married to a man from Amish/Mennonite background!
Read on to hear more from her and join us in welcoming her to The Agency!
What's your passion?
My family, helping others going through chronic illness like breast cancer, speaking about the disparity in the healthcare system when it comes to minorities, fighting for joy even in the worse situations!
What makes you happiest?
My faith, my family and friends, and good food 😊
What do you do to feel confident and embrace your body?
Something that I started not that long after my first breast surgery was to stand in front of a mirror completely naked and touch each one of my 26 scars all over my body from 11 surgeries and say out loud what I love about myself. When I first started it was something as simple as my elbow or my ears but as I did it more routinely I started to see myself in deeper ways & I was able to appreciate my body more. Even recently I have to do that as I continually learn to embrace my flat chest.
What does "Never Alone" mean to you?
For me “never alone” is such a powerful statement. When diagnosed with cancer you may find yourself surrounded by people or you may find yourself having just one or two people but regardless there can be a feeling of solitude. I had this feeling of loneliness. It wasn’t until I found this breast cancer community that I started to feel like I have people who understand and are in my corner. For me “never alone” means that there’s a community behind me even in my moments of loneliness.
Which is your favorite AnaOno bra? Why?
I love the Gina Flat bralette! It was the first real bra that I wore after I went flat. I wore it for the AnaOno show at New York fashion week just three weeks after going flat. Going flat was always such a traumatizing thought for me because I just didn’t know how I would feel beautiful and sexy again. I put on the Gina bra and looked in the mirror & realized that I was still me and I could still feel beautiful and sexy. It was my first giant step to healing.
What does being part of The Agency mean to you?
To me it just means to give back honestly. I feel like I’ve been given so much through my cancer diagnosis. That just seems like the craziest thing to say sometimes but it’s true. For me being part of The Agency means to give back and to help other Breasties feel beautiful and sexy again as well as supporting an amazing small business and a courageous breast cancer survivor herself.
If you were to give advice to someone diagnosed with breast cancer or having a preventative surgery, what would you say?
I would say that you are stronger than you ever thought possible. Those are the words that I said to my therapist on the very day that I was diagnosed and I see that it is still true 3 years later. I would also say that you know your body better than anyone else and you are your biggest advocate. Fight for yourself! You are so much more resilient than you can imagine!
What's your guilty pleasure?
Dark Chocolate and Grey’s Anatomy ☺️
You can follow along with Asha on her Instagram and Facebook.
