Healing Hearts: The Hope of a Breast Cancer Survivor

Mother-daughter duo Loudette and Mara narrate how Loudette's cancer brought their family together in faith, hope, and love.

Mother-daughter duo Loudette and Mara narrate how Loudette's cancer brought their family together in faith, hope, and love.

There are moments in life that make us stop and realize that we are not infinite – that our bodies are capable of being broken, that our hearts and spirits are not immune to the trials of physical ordeals. However as breast cancer survivor Loudette Banson and her daughter Mara Banson learned, the human heart is capable of enduring physical afflictions and emerging whole by nurturing one’s spirit with love and tremendous support.

Discovering the Diagnosis

“It was actually first my dad who got sick,” 26-year-old Mara recalls. “He got a brain hemorrhage in 2006. So when my mom got breast cancer in 2007, we really banded together to support them.” The third-born of five children, Mara describes how she and her siblings rallied together to convince their mother to get the medical treatment she needed.

“It was actually the masahista [masseuse] who first found the bump,” 55-year-old Loudette recollects. “After that I went to a breast surgeon, got a needle biopsy, and the slides confirmed that I had Stage II breast cancer.”

Despite having a family history of breast cancer, Loudette initially tried to cushion the impact the way all women – and some men – would react to her diagnosis in a culture where breast cancer is treated with fear or willful ignorance. “I was in this mindset that maybe they’re mistaken,” she laughs. “You know, the whole denial process… I just had to take care of my husband.”

It was from the overwhelming encouragement and support of her children and friends that Loudette gathered the courage and strength to undergo a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and multiple surgeries. Her cancer eventually went into remission – but unfortunately, in 2010, the Banson family learned that her cancer had returned and spread to her breastbone.

Crusading Against Cancer

An active member of the Family Rosary Crusade, Loudette coped with the news in every way she could. “I went through a period of praying, I went on retreat.” she recalls. She also tried the alternative approach, going for integrative medicine and art, before reinstilling her trust in Western medicine.

“The tendency is to want to throw in the towel,” she admits. “But you always have to just give it this one more chance. Praying was a very good part of my healing.”

After another round of surgery, Loudette’s bone scans reflected that the cancer had stopped spreading – against all medical odds. She attributes this miracle to divine intervention, as it was during this time that she had been leading her organization’s campaign for peace by offering a rosary for one nation every day. “I have no element of doubt that it was our Lady who really interceded for me,” she declares.

Now with her cancer still in remission, Loudette braves her new life with fortitude and resolute hope. “At the moment I’m not thinking illness,” she smiles. “I’m just thinking that work has to be done, [that we have] to do little acts of kindness in an effort to really build peace with a lot of help from the Boss up there.”

A Word for Women

For women who are at risk or currently struggling with breast cancer, Loudette shares her earnest words of advice: “I really want women to know that it’s okay to take care of yourself, it’s okay to say you’re tired and you want to take a break for a while. It’s okay to give yourself some time just to feed your soul.”

Loudette also attributes her healing to a strong social support system. “It’s very important to have a friend that you can talk to,” she shares. “I realized the magic, the wonder, of friends and support systems. I would advocate a sisterhood, a group of really close friends with whom you can just be yourself.”

“Above all, it’s my children that keep me believing that we’ve licked the enemy,” she smiles.

Holistic Healing

The Philippines has the highest breast cancer rate in Asia: one in 13 Filipino women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. The good news is, early detection is key. According to the American Cancer Society, 100% of those who detected breast cancer when it was still at Stage I survived the disease. At Stage II, 93% of women still survived the cancer.*

You can help lower your risk of developing breast cancer by embracing a healthy diet, exercising, breast feeding, and avoiding products that contain hormone-disrupting chemicals such as parabens and phthalates. Performing monthly breast self-exams in the shower is also a good and convenient way to know your body and detect any irregularities as early as possible.

Committing to a healthy lifestyle on a long-term and holistic scale is something that both Loudette and Mara advocate. “There are so many trendy short-term diets,” Mara explains. “But it’s really about changing the way you eat.” Loudette also recommends adopting a paleolithic diet and kefir water to maintain a healthy immune system.

“One thing that has struck me in the course of the treatment is the importance of healing the whole self,” she continues. “It’s very easy to just pay attention to the physical illness, when really what happens is before you get physically ill, there’s already something going on emotionally, spiritually, mentally. By the time cancer manifests itself physically, there’s a lot of woundedness already in the other aspects of one’s life.”

“You are more than your physical body,” she reminds. “When the pace of life gets really fast, you kind of lose that equilibrium. In the end, it’s all balance – to find a good balance and try to be yourself in equilibrium and the best way is to stop whatever you’re doing at some point and give that time to the Lord.”

A Legacy of Love

As for her children, Loudette’s struggle gave her a candid and more courageous perspective on motherhood. “I don’t know how long I have and I’m not going to be in denial about that,” she muses. “It’s become more of a preparation for when I go. I’m trying to make sure that they’ll have a roof over their heads. It has changed a lot of my decisions. For now, I’m prioritizing preparing something to leave behind for them.”

“In the end, you really just have to love,” Loudette concludes. “If I could leave my children one legacy, it’s to try as much as possible to love as much as you can, because in the end that’s all you have to hold on to. Everything can pass away. I’m trying to prepare a roof over their heads but even that house can be swept away. If I even hear them say that ‘My mother taught me to love,’ okay na ako, accomplished na ako.”

Early detection saves lives. Perform regular breast self-exams in the shower with MammoMe, the first body wash that truly cares for us - mothers, daughters, sisters, friends.Our ally in our fight against breast cancer. A first for all Filipinos.

*Sources:
Kasuso Foundation
American Cancer Society
National Cancer Institute
February 4, 2010 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer