KRISTY RAMNARINE
Kristy.ramnarine@cnc3.co.tt
Mel Gabriel is usually the producer behind a fashion shoot. She is known for curating the best of the Caribbean when it comes to fashion and creativity for her fashion and style platform, Caribbean Lookbook.
The breast cancer survivor instead became one of the main models, along with Anya Ayoung Chee, for London-based fashion designer Melissa Simon Hartman’s ‘Masquerade’ editorial earlier this year.
Wearing a white skirt and colourful corset made from fabric produced in Ghana by Michael Essuman, Gabriel confidently showed her double mastectomy scars. “To do that kind of thing was interesting because I am used to being on the other side. I am behind the scenes; I am producing the shoot, not posing for a professional photographer. I would take my self-portraits, and that is it,” she said. “Just to wear her clothing and her designs in a way that furthers the story of powerful women and showing up for yourself and becoming the best version of yourself, it was an honour for me.”
Her scars tell the story of her strength, survival, and all the possibilities of early detection. “They remind me that every curve, every mark is a symbol of resilience,” she said.
“Early detection made my journey less difficult, and it can do the same for you. Regular checks aren’t just an option; they’re an act of love for your future self.” With a history of breast cancer in her family, Gabriel and her sister were trained from young to look out for the signs and symptoms of the disease.
“During a routine check I discovered a lump,” she said.
“I went to the Trinidad and Tobago Cancer Society and did an ultrasound. This was followed up with a biopsy, and I got my diagnosis the day before my 37th birthday (December 2020), saying I had stage 1 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC).” IDC, also called infiltrating ductal carcinoma, is the most common type of breast cancer. Invasive means the cancer has spread into surrounding breast tissues. “What was surprising is that it happened at such a very young age,” she said. “I kinda thought maybe I would get cancer at some point, but closer to 50. I got it at 36, and I was like, Okay!”
Gabriel said she was not given the option of a mammogram screening.
“They don’t typically perform mammograms on women under 40,” she said. “We hope the protocol would change because more and more women are being diagnosed at a younger age.”
A mammogram is an X-ray examination of the breast. It is used to detect and diagnose breast disease in women who have breast problems, such as a lump, pain, or nipple discharge, as well as for women who have no breast complaints. The procedure allows the detection of breast cancers, benign tumours, and cysts before they can be detected by palpation (touch). The American College of Radiology (ACR) and the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) recommend that women get yearly mammograms starting at age 40.
Gabriel was then referred to St James Medical Complex Women’s Health Clinic. “I went to the breast clinic there and had a consultation,” she recalled.
“We came up with a treatment plan. The decision was made to do surgery, followed by chemotherapy, and then radiation. All of this is to prevent a reoccurrence of breast cancer.
“I received stellar service. They are very compassionate, all that good stuff ... everything we think we know about public health care, they challenge it every day because of the good work that they do.”
In 2021, Gabriel had a double mastectomy. Eight rounds of chemotherapy followed her surgery, then 16 sessions of radiation, which she completed in 2023. “My main challenge was the removal of consent,” she said. “Now you have to do these things; you cannot go back on it.
“There is an aspect of the treatment plan that affects fertility, so if you are not prepared to freeze your eggs for later, then you just have to cut and go through, literally.
“I started on Zoladex, which is a monthly injection that brings on early menopause; it affects your oestrogen levels and your fertility. That part may be the most challenging mentally. Physically, you can predict how you are going to feel.”
Gabriel said in her alone time many thoughts about her womanhood entered her head.
“The idea we have of femininity and then have to reconcile with yourself what my version of womanhood looks like now. What my version of femininity looks like. How I’m going to show up in the world and still feel whole while missing body parts,” she said.
“A mastectomy is an amputation. Call it what you want; it is an amputation. You have to go back to the well of love and remember this is not the only thing that makes you a woman; having children is not the only thing that makes you a woman. It’s a huge step in the decision of choosing life, and I wanted to live more than anything else, so I just had to deal with it.”
Admitting that she was fearful about the reality of her diagnosis, Gabriel said her first photo shoots have been well thought through.
“Weeks before I was gathering my thoughts, processing information, becoming at peace with my diagnosis,” she said. “I didn’t see women my age looking like me. There were many images of older women of all races, but to see myself represented, I was not getting it. I thought about other women living in the Caribbean my age who would have been diagnosed; they don’t have that information to find. I took the decision to represent in that way.”
Gabriel first released photos of her double mastectomy in 2021. You can follow her journey on IG @mehgabriel
Gabriel’s look
Skirt + corset + backpack by @melissasimonhartman • 🇬🇭 x ��🇹
Photo by @gifts_from_gab
Styling by @kezstylesinc Makeup by @__caramelbeauty__
Studio @ai_studios_tt @affordableimpor
