Sculpture of "Beth Freitas "(front)

Beth Freitas
Canoas - RS, Brazil
67 years
Retired domestic

"When I first learned that I had breast cancer, I was 51 years old. It was very complicated. You don't know what to do, right? I did not ask to live this moment, I had to pass. Accepting is important for living. I did everything that had to be done: surgery, chemo, radiotherapy. And I had to stop working. That was when I received an invitation to volunteer and help other women. It's been 16 years since my first diagnosis and 16 years of volunteering at 'Femina', the hospital where I had my first treatment, another 10 at Imama [Breast Institute], eight in children's oncology, and I'm still a counselor at a UBS [Unit Basic Health Care] close to home."