In 2006 my life changed dramatically with these three words: You have cancer.
I was in the happiest moment of my life. I had just come back from my honeymoon and we were planning on starting a family. I was 32 years old. I truly was convinced that the happy and “worry-free” part of my life was just starting. Five years before my diagnosis, my mother had passed away from cancer at the age of 53. I was at her side throughout her battle. I knew all too well the scary and painful journey ahead… Now it was my turn… Multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, all the things from my mother’s past were coming to be my future.
My doctor told me that because of my young age the cancer was particularly aggressive. I prepared myself for what was to come.
After the shock, almost instantly, my survival instincts kicked in. Every cell in my body screamed, “You are strong, you will get through this!” I was determined to heal. I started my quest to thrive and to put my body and mind in the best possible position to heal — and to remain healthy. I knew that in addition to medical treatments, I had to address many other aspects of health. Which, after many starts and stops and research, I found my way.
In 2010, I was declared cancer free. Upon my diagnosis, my motivation was to heal myself, but once I was cancer free I felt the need to make sense of it all. I wanted to turn my personal experience into something constructive and positive. I set myself on a mission to find ways to empower people affected by cancer to take an active role in their healing journey.
Ten years have passed. I have learned about the mind-body connection by diving into yoga, breathing techniques, meditation, visualisation techniques and Reiki. I have settled happily in my new home country, Singapore (I am originally from Luxembourg). I was blessed with the miracle of giving birth to two children; have made invaluable friendships; have found inspiration and support through mentors, teachers and dedicated colleagues and have found my passion. All of this has led me to a career change where I’ve spent ten years continuously educating myself about health and wellbeing — specifically health coaching, functional medicine, naturopathy, yoga therapy, stress management, healthy sleep habits, visualisation techniques, emotional wellbeing and nutrition in the context of cancer.
I am truly passionate about absorbing all this knowledge, but more importantly, to put it into practice as a coach. My biggest inspiration comes from my everyday interactions with cancer patients and their families. I am humbled by their stories, drive and motivation. Every person, every journey is unique and together we work on achieving a higher level of health, quality of life, and emotional and physical wellbeing. In becoming a Cancer Coach, I found my passion, my purpose, my calling.