From patients to models: eight Malaga women and one man put a face to breast cancer

They are all taking part for the same reason: to raise awareness, which has taken precedence over everything else. There are moments when the medical history can be put to one side and they can approach life with renewed enthusiasm. For people with breast cancer, there can be many such moments, even when it may not always seem that way.

One of those moments is just days away. On Wednesday, 7 October, the familiar corridors of hospitals will give way to the open space outside the cube-shaped Centro Pompidou in Malaga, where the AECC (Spanish association against cancer) will roll out the pink carpet for the third year of its fashion show. Ten cancer patients will become models for the day.

Nine women and one man will take to the catwalk. At 67, Rafael Conde stands out for the joy he brings to the group despite having just undergone hip surgery. "What motivates me to get better is this fashion show. I want to be there and I don't care if I have to walk with a crutch," he says.

The association hopes his presence will represent the one per cent of breast cancer patients who are men. One of his fellow AECC models, Cristina León, highlights not only the empowering experience of taking part in the show, but also the bond the group has formed.

"The wonderful companionship we've developed. Rafael, who is a lovely person, is the only man in the group, but he comes along and never stops smiling. He's so happy about this project. And the rest of the women are lovely too. After everything we've been through with the disease, this is a gift from life,” says the Málaga resident.

The encouragement of Irene López, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 28, also proved a gift for Cristina, who decided to take part in the AECC fashion show because of her.

"At the beginning of the process I felt very alone... Even the doctors told me it was very unusual to have breast cancer at my age," Irene says.

Cristina León, now 47 and a neighbour of the younger woman, was already going through the disease when Irene received her diagnosis.

"She would always come to my house after chemotherapy and somehow she'd end up cheering me up instead. We even used to dance sevillanas! We've shared some very special moments and we go to our appointments together... At the hospital they call us Pili and Mili," Irene says, laughing through tears of emotion. She is now 31, three years after her diagnosis.

Preparing for the fashion show has given all them a breath of fresh air amid the routine of treatment.

Carmen Ortega, 52, describes how she has been preparing at home. "I'm honestly so excited about the fashion show. I'm happy. I practice in the hallway at home so I can do it reasonably well. My daughter watches me and laughs. She says: 'Mum, you're going to do really well. You're going to look beautiful!'"

Carmen has breast cancer in both breasts and the preparations have also given her a welcome refuge from the routine of treatment.

"Every 21 days, for the rest of my life, I have to go to hospital for treatment. When they tell you that, you have a little child's tantrum and you get very frightened. But I've been living this way for nearly three years now and, well, I've adapted because there isn't really another option. Activities like this help me."

The show is not just about what happens on 7 October. It is also about everything that has happened in the run-up to it and what will follow: a stimulus to break away from the passivity that the medical process can sometimes impose.

For 41-year-old Marisa Ponciano, staying active has made a real difference. "It's an opportunity to have a wonderful day, to meet people and to do things. Keeping active has been really good for me during this illness. I didn't want to sit on the sofa."

Sharing her experience on social media has also helped her, as other women going through cancer respond to her posts. "Using social media has helped me a lot because I've realised how many people have cancer. I like sharing my day-to-day life as much as I like giving advice, for example on how to do your eyebrows," Marisa says.

She has more than 60,000 followers on social media and has become a source of support and recognition for many people going through the disease. She has only been undergoing treatment for a few months, after receiving her diagnosis in April this year, but it took her some time to start thinking about herself.

"At first you only think about your family, about making sure they don't suffer. I've seen my partner crying and being so worried. But now I'm finally managing to think about myself. Things like this fashion show help because, honestly, we feel really beautiful in the dresses they've lent us for the catwalk," she says.

The excitement and joy also shine through in the eyes of 51-year-old Paloma Casero, who has metastatic breast cancer. "There is a split second when you think you can't do it. But you carry on. You have a partner, a mother, brothers and sisters: family. My sister went through the same illness last year and seeing her recover and go back to work gives me strength. We're alive and you can't ask for more than that. We're so excited about projects like this fashion show. My children are absolutely delighted that I've decided to take part," she says, visibly moved but still smiling.

Behind every model is a support network that has stood by her through every stage of the illness. Reme Codes, 52, talks about how eagerly her family and partner are awaiting the big day.

"They're all planning to come and support me. My family, my husband too, he's one of the people who has always been there, from the very beginning, and has never left my side. I'm incredibly proud of him," she says. She finds it difficult to feel like "herself" at times, but she knows the process remains part of her everyday life.

"You lose your hair, your eyebrows... And although it may seem superficial, it matters because from one day to the next you don't feel like yourself. So 7 October is going to be unforgettable. I'm excited but nervous at the same time, overwhelmed because there will be so many people watching. But this group is wonderful. We're enjoying the whole process."

"It's lovely to share experiences and help one another," adds Bettina Duarte, who has spent much of her life in and out of hospital since she was 14. "My struggle began at school with inflammatory bowel disease, which meant I had to have surgery seven times. Then, at 38, I developed colon cancer and had metastases in both lungs. It all went on for years. Then, at 50, I was called in for breast cancer screening and was told I had that too. All I could think was: 'Why? Why me again?' But then these moments come along that comfort you and make you feel special," Bettina says.

For them, the fashion show is an opportunity to celebrate.

"I see it as a gift and I know we're going to do a wonderful job," Sonia Ocaña, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, says. She becomes emotional when she remembers telling her family and the pain of having to break the news to her mother, but says she has now moved beyond that stage.

"I've accepted myself and I'm in a more relaxed phase. I've tried to shut out all the noise surrounding the disease and not let it consume me. I see this fashion show as a gift. I'm really excited," Sonia says.

None of the feelings described by these models and cancer patients would be possible without the collective support of the city.

The initiative has received crucial backing from provincial authority through its Málaga de Moda brand, as well as from Nueva Moda Producciones (Pasarela Larios), under the direction of María José González.

The Fundación 'la Caixa', Fundación Sando, Maribel Yébenes, Segurisur, HM Santa Elena, SEAMA, Fundación Bidafarma, McArthurGlen Designer Outlet and Antonio Eloy have also joined the initiative. Thanks to their support, the space outside the Pompidou will host more than a fashion show. It will become a place where solidarity takes centre stage, accompanying these women and listening to their stories.

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