womanthismonth.com | OCTOBER 2026 STORIES OF STRENGTH 84 Through It All STORIES OF STRENGTH A breast cancer diagnosis forced entrepreneur and trainer Naseem Abdullatif into a reality she had never anticipated. Speaking openly about treatment connected her with other women facing uncertainty and revealed a new purpose. When I heard the words, “You have breast cancer,” everything inside me seemed to stop. I was a mother, entrepreneur and trainer, accustomed to taking care of others. Suddenly, I was facing tests, chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy and uncertainty. One question overwhelmed everything else: “What happens now?” Cancer taught me that strength does not always look the way we imagine. Sometimes, it is getting out of bed when exhausted. Sometimes, it is admitting that you are scared. On other days, it is showing up for another treatment when you wish this chapter were already over. Early on, I decided to speak openly about my experience. I shared the difficult days alongside the good ones, from chemotherapy and hair loss to surgery, recovery and the emotional changes behind it all. I did not want to present cancer as a beautiful journey. It isn’t. But I did not want fear to be the only story told about it either. Women began contacting me. Some had just been diagnosed, while others were waiting for results or undergoing treatment. Often, what they needed most was someone who could say, “I understand.” That was when my experience began to reach beyond me. The words We Will Get Through This became meaningful. Cancer taught me that you do not have to see the whole road to keep moving. Sometimes, you only need enough strength for the next appointment, treatment or the next day. That inspired me to create the We Will Get Through This support initiative and write We Will Get Through This – Your Guide to the First Chemotherapy Session. I wrote it for the person who has just heard the word “chemotherapy”, searching for answers and wondering what lies ahead. It combines practical guidance with reassurance from someone who has sat in that treatment chair. My dream is to make the book available free to cancer patients. I am seeking a sponsor or organisation to support its printing and distribution so it can reach more people. For me, this is not a commercial project. It is my way of turning one of the most difficult periods of my life into something that might make the Naseem road ahead less frightening for someone else. Having completed chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy, I understand that recovery brings challenges of its own. Healing takes time, physically and emotionally. Cancer changed many things about me. Most importantly, it changed what strength means to me. Strength is not about never falling apart. It is knowing that you can fall apart, gather yourself again and continue. To anyone beginning this journey, you do not need to be brave every day or have all the answers. Take it one step at a time and remember: your diagnosis is something you are going through. It is not who you are.
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