[Guest blog by Lauren Yerkes]
I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 37 years old, three days before my 38th birthday, and honestly at an age where cancer never quite feels like it belongs in your story. I was building a life, deep into a long career in fashion, thinking about what came next in the most abstract way we all do when we assume time is on our side. Then everything changed. The diagnosis didn’t just interrupt my plans, it reshaped how I saw my body, my work, my relationships, and ultimately my future.
I didn’t immediately feel proud to be a survivor. At first, I felt scared, disoriented, and overwhelmed by how quickly life could shift. Survivorship wasn’t something I claimed early on, it was something I slowly grew into. Over time, I learned that being a cancer survivor isn’t about bravery every day or finding meaning instantly. It’s about continuing forward, even when the path looks nothing like what you imagined.
Before cancer, I had spent nearly two decades working in the fashion industry. Fashion had always been about creativity, problem-solving, and understanding how women want to feel in their bodies. After cancer, that understanding deepened in ways I never expected. My body changed. My relationship with clothing changed. I became acutely aware of how little the industry considered women navigating scars, surgeries, or bodies that no longer fit traditional definitions of “normal.”
That awareness became a turning point.
Out of my survivorship journey, I built POST SWIM, a purpose-driven swimwear brand rooted in the belief that women deserve choices and confidence in bodies that have been changed by cancer and surgery. POST SWIM wasn’t created in spite of cancer; it was created because of it. It is proof that even in the aftermath of something painful, it’s possible to build something meaningful and what I’m most proud of, something that serves others and creates connection.
I’m proud to be a cancer survivor because survivorship taught me purpose. Cancer stripped away the illusion that success is defined by titles or timelines. It clarified what matters: impact, empathy, and showing up honestly. It taught me that healing doesn’t mean returning to who you were before, it means honoring who you are now.
I’m also proud because I didn’t survive alone. My husband walked this journey beside me, not as a bystander, but as my co-survivor. He showed up for the appointments, the waiting rooms, the quiet moments at home, and the days when fear felt louder than hope. Survivorship belongs to the people who hold us up when we can’t carry everything ourselves. His steady presence is one of the greatest gifts of my life, and I am endlessly grateful for him.
Cancer also introduced me to a community I never knew I would need. Survivors share an unspoken understanding – one shaped by appointments, scars, uncertainty, and resilience. We know that survivorship isn’t linear. Some days feel strong and confident; others feel tender and heavy. Both belong. Both count. That shared truth is why days like National Cancer Survivors Day matter so deeply. It’s not just about celebrating life after cancer, it’s about honoring the many ways survivorship shows up, long after treatment ends.
I’m proud to be a cancer survivor because my story now carries responsibility and possibility. It reminds me that visibility matters, that sharing my experiences helps others feel less alone. If my journey can reassure someone newly diagnosed, validate someone struggling in survivorship, or help another woman feel seen in her body, then the story continues to serve a purpose beyond me.
Survivorship didn’t give me certainty, but it gave me clarity. It taught me to live with intention, to listen more closely, and to trust that even when life takes an unexpected turn, something meaningful can still be built. I am proud of the life I’m living now, one that is shaped by cancer, strengthened by love, and grounded in purpose.
I am a cancer survivor. And I carry that title with gratitude and pride.
Lauren Yerkes is the founder of POST SWIM, a swimwear brand shaped by her journey through breast cancer and life as a BRCA2 carrier. After 16 years in leadership at REVOLVE, she shifted her focus to designing pieces that empower women to feel confident in evolving bodies. POST SWIM celebrates resilience, honors scars, and builds community through intentional design and sisterhood. Lauren uses her platform to raise awareness, share her story, and redefine how women experience confidence, coverage, and beauty after surgery. Find her on PostSwim.com.
Lauren is part of the Official NCSD Speakers Bureau Roster.
