How Breast Cancer Changed the Way One Survivor Felt About Her Body

Being diagnosed with breast cancer is no doubt a life-changing experience. It can be tremendously difficult to accept and even harder to know how to proceed, no matter your prognosis.

While everyone’s journey is unique, knowing that others before you have been through something similar can give you the guidelines, strength and inspiration you need to keep everything in perspective.

And for many, hope was found in the viral photos of Ericka Hart.

In 2014 Hart was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer three months away from her wedding day, in the midst of grad school at the tender age of 28.

Since then Hart has endured a double mastectomy to rid her body of the deadly disease, which claimed her mother’s life when she was only 13-years-old. The 30-year-old sex educator, writer and performer caught the attention of many when she proudly showed off her uncovered breasts post-double mastectomy at the Afropunk Festival in late August leading to an outpouring of support and encouragement.

“I decided to [show my scars] because really what I’ve discovered through my experience with breast cancer is the way in which we view breast cancer is really ableless, and one of the tenants of AfroPunk is no ableism,” she says. “I think that the way that we think about chronic illness and it’s ability in the United States has to be challenged.”

With her carefree personality Hart made it her mission to change the narrative about cancer survivors.

“You don’t have to put it into this morbid narrative all the the time. Breast cancer patients are not all sad and thinking about death and thinking about their chronic illness all day everyday,” she says.

Not only has the experience failed to steal Hart’s joy, but it’s also changed the way she views her body.

“Now I’m like ‘Whoa, my body is so powerful and dope and sexy.’ I can have scars for nipples, that’s cool,“ she says. “It’s not bad or sad, it’s just a new view.”

She even recalls the moment all of her hair fell out and the interesting comments she got. “Let me tell you, when I was on a full bout of chemotherapy, no hair and people came up to me and said, ‘I like your haircut.’ If that’s not black girl magic, I don’t know what is,” she says.

According to Hart, she’s read studies that cite how black breast cancer patients will sometimes die at faster rates, but remain more resilient than white women because of all the stuff black women experience day to day.

“For a white woman might, this might be the worst thing they’ve ever experienced, but honey, I have experienced so much stuff living in this century that a breast cancer diagnosis was yeah, terrifying and scary, but one of many times in my life that have been terrifying and scary. Just existing is terrifying and scary.”

Through it all Hart remains committed to sharing her story and encouraging others to not look at all breast cancers the same.

“I think making it known that talking about breast cancer, any chronic illness, disability as if something is wrong or something is sad in some sort of morbid narrative is ignorant, because it assumes that my life would be great or better if I did not have this chronic illness, and that’s just not true,” she says.

“This is something that I’m experiencing. Sure, it’s challenging and sure, it hurts, but I’m here.”

This article originally appeared on Essence.