Women’s cancers: the story of Clare
The story of Chiara, 29, can be an example for many women, and it is for this very reason that Chiara kindly decided to tell us about it. A way to share his journey. A journey that led her to transform fear and uncertainty into strength and awareness.
It started with general symptoms that were difficult to interpret. No certain diagnosis, no immediate answer. But Clare chose not to ignore them and to trust her body.
“I got stubborn,” he explains, “and if I hadn’t, I don’t know at what point they would have found what they later discovered in Candiolo.”
At the Candiolo IRCCS, thanks to the team of theOvarian Cancer Center led by Dr. Luigi Carlo Turco, the diagnosis has indeed arrived: Sertoli-Leydig cell ovarian cancer, a rare form. It was the beginning of a complex journey.
“At first the ground fell out from under me,” Chiara continued. It wasn’t so much the fear of the disease as it was the fear of not knowing what was going to happen. I was just thinking week by week, because that was the only way I wouldn’t get overwhelmed.”
In Candiolo she has found a place where she feels welcome. Among doctors, nurses, and other patients, she discovered that care also comes through listening and kindness. “Here I found a sense of protection that helped me breathe again.”
The first meeting with her oncologist is an indelible memory:
“I was in a panic. She greeted me with a huge smile, a soft but precise voice. She explained everything and then asked if I had any questions. I asked her about my hair. That was all it took: I went in almost in tears and came out with a smile I haven’t forgotten since.”
Today Clare lives at a different pace. She is more aware and attentive to the things that really matter.
“I haven’t lost my dreams, but I try to prioritize myself over what others expect.”
Through her experience, Clare wants to remind all women of the importance of listening to their bodies’ signals, asking for help and facing fear. Because courage, prevention and humanity can truly change a life.
