Support SCARRED: THE JOURNEY OF A WARRIOR BREAST CANCER PROJ

My name is Obi "Obi Uwakwe", I am a musician, artist and photographer based in Chicago. I have been working on a photographic project for 3 years called SCARRED:THE JOURNEY OF A WARRIOR. It is a project that highlights the resilience and triumph of breast cancer survivors through powerful photography. It aims to celebrate their journey, showcase their strength and courage while providing inspiration and hope to others facing similar challenges. The portraits serve as a visual testament to their experiences, emphasizing empowerment and community support. I understand that the journey not only causes physical trauma, but the underlying psychological, emotional and intimacy trauma exists as well with some women not being able to look at themselves in the mirror.

So I committed to creating artistic images that would make the warriors feel proud, bold, strong and beautiful. Images that even they would proudly display and share, showing there is still life after diagnosis and seeing themselves in an empowering light. Self funding the project since it's inception, I have travelled Nationally and Internationally giving this free service to women who feel this would help them through their journey and have photographed 30 warriors to date . 100% of your donations will go toward the operational costs of photography sessions and the production of the final project which would be a coffee table book.

The warriors who have been photographed for this project find that it helped them to overcome trauma and feel more authentically themselves. They say that the power of the creative process and seeing their final images have helped improve their self-esteem, self-confidence, well-being, and resilience following their portrait sessions. Dr. Beth DuPree MD, FACS, ABOIM, who was instrumental in referring some of the warriors for the project, shared this: "Surgery addresses the medical aspect of treatment, but we also have to address the emotional and mental wellness of patients after surgery. This is a beautiful representation that there is still beauty and life after diagnosis". Ana Garcia-Doyle shared this : " It was a truly important step in my continued healing journey".

See media coverage on some of the warriors at Cancer Wellness Magazine and NBC Chicago .

My goal is to make this therapeutic activity available to 10 more breast cancer survivors, warriors and thrivers who would benefit from it and would also like to be featured in the book . Projected completion of photo sessions and final printed books is October 2025. Your donations go directly to project costs, which include transportation and modest travel costs, make up artists and coffee table book printing.

I invite you to join us in supporting this life-changing project. Your donation will help deliver transformational portrait sessions to 10 more survivors and thrivers between now and June 2025 for the book launch October 2025.

Thank you for your generous support!

Projected Costs to Deliver 10 More Photography Sessions And Book Printing $25,500.00

Transport (Air) - $6,000 / 10 = Avg airfare $600

Transport (Car Rental) - $3,500 / 10 = Avg rental 3 days $350 w/gas including taxes/fees

Accommodation - $5,500 / 10 = Avg hotel 2 night minimum $550 including taxes/fees

Publishing Fees - $10,500 (includes prototype/printing/shipping for initial 200 books)

*Note that these are projections as travel costs vary based on a survivor’s location and prices of printing may change.These projections are estimated based on out of pocket expense for 30 warriors already photographed at approximately $30,000 in 3years. Every effort is made to reduce costs, including bundling sessions together, when appropriate, finding budget accommodations and transportation, along with budget friendly printing companies.

30 Survivors and thrivers who will be served by your donations:

CHICAGO

Loreli Pham

Teri Ford

Tiaybe Bledsoe

Susan Vickie Mckenzie

Aliza Fagan

Nicole Atkinson

Carol Stewart

Renee Onyebuagu

Dr. Nekeia Wilson

Eva Walker

Frankie Parker

Tatisa Joiner

Ingrid Sanders

Dorisse Tolliver

Kershia Johnson

Ana Garcia-Doyle

Khadi Gaye

SAN FRANCSCO

Amber Dawn Rice

LA

Nikea Gamby-Turner

SPAIN

Claudia Gutierrez

Marbel Rodriguez

Yenny

Zuleyma De Lone

Cristina Gomez

BALI

Yovita D. Poerwanti

Mayne Trice

Kadek Dwi Tsidhi Cesaryanti

Endri Prayanti

SEDONA

Christie Gallo

Jen Keenan