Chicago artist helps breast cancer survivors reclaim their identities in photos

CHICAGO (WLS) -- It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and a local Chicago artist is helping survivors reclaim their identities one photo at a time.

Breast cancer survivors were photographed, and said they experienced a vulnerable moment but one that allowed them to publicly stand in their truth, evolving from survivor to warrior.

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"I'm stepping into my power," survivor Ana Garcia Doyle said.

Garcia Doyle, a mom of three, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, and decided to have a single mastectomy.

"I was topless, yeah, for the photoshoot on the lake," Garcia Doyle said. "It's like, if you need to, you look. You look at what this disease does to women."

Photographed on the lakefront, she's wore her scar proudly in a newly released book, "Scarred: The Journey of a Warrior." It offers a window into the emotional and physical aftermath that can come with the disease.

"The warrior is the one who comes out with scars, is nursed back to health, but still keeps fighting," said Obi Uwakwe, with Electriqsoul Hideout Studios.

The four-year project was self-funded by Uwakwe, featuring 30 breast cancer survivors from Chicago and around the world, including a Navy veteran who recently gave birth.

"It clicked how powerful it would be to have someone who's had a mastectomy, gone through her journey, but still nurturing and pouring into a life," Uwakwe said.

Originally inspired by a friend who was diagnosed with the disease, he says he wanted survivors to reclaim their power, whether it's learning to enjoy the present, or understanding just how powerful they are.

"I am brave enough to slow down. And I cannot say that enough to myself," Garcia Doyle said.

"It was just a reminder of not only the human spirit, but the strength of women," Uwakwe said.

The book is available for a limited time online.