Chemo and Beauty
Chemo and Beauty
Chemo and Beauty (C&B) is a sister-page of the Brazilian Facebook page and website "Quimioterapia e Beleza" (http://quimioterapiaebeleza.com.br). "Quimioterapia e Beleza" was created in 2012 by Flavia Flores, after her diagnosis of breast cancer. Initially it was a Facebook page, and due to the success, currently with more than 110,000 followers, it became a blog and a book. Flavia also created the English version C&B, but due to the high demands of "Quimioterapia e Beleza" she wasn't able to engage with C&B. In 2015, Francine Marques became the ambassador and leading figure of C&B.
C&B aims to bring information about internal and external beauty, well-being and self-stem to those going through chemotherapy. It also serves as a support group, where members can exchange tips, stories and experiences in a positive way. A diagnosis of cancer and chemo are very difficult for anyone, so we hope C&B can make this experience easier for all!
Flavia Flores
Flavia completed a degree in business administration in 2006. She is a writer, speaker and creator of the project "chemotherapy and beauty" in Brazil. She has always been linked to the fashion and beauty world, where she worked as a model, instructor, costume designer, sales representative, commercial manager and marketing manager since the nineties.
In October 2012, after being diagnosed with breast cancer, she created the Brazilian Facebook page called "Quimioterapia e Beleza", a unique project that was turned into a book. This book approaches chemotherapy in a fun way, demystifying cancer with a touch of fashion, teaching how to knot scarves and do makeup specific for oncologic patients.
In 2013, she launched the "Bank of Scarves Flavia Flores", which has already distributed more than 2,000 scarves to chemop patients in Brazil. She is the ambassador and sponsor of several national oncologic projects. In partnership with the blogger Camila Coutinho, she was creator of the "Pink Pride" - a project that highlights beauty and self-esteem in the fight against cancer. Flavia is a columnist for the "Brazil Post" and in Portugal she launched the POP project - Pink October Portugal, which aims to raise awareness about prevention and early detection of breast cancer. During her visit to Portugal, she launched her book published by Chiado, starting her international career.
Dr Francine Marques
I was born in Brazil, from a musician mother and a gynaecologist/obstetrician father. I have a sister, Florence, who is 9 years older than me, and followed our father's steps. I might be biased, but they are some of the best doctors the world has ever seen! The three of them mean the world to me, and I miss them very much every day.
I did a Bachelor of Sciece and Master of Molecular Biology and Genetics in Brazil. I moved to Sydney, Australia, in 2006 to have a gap year before I would start my PhD, but I never went back. In 2007 I was offered a PhD scholarship at the University of Sydney. Now it has been 12 wonderful years since I decided to call Australia home. I made great friends while in Sydney, who still live in my heart and are very dear to me. So after I finished my PhD, I was offered a position in Ballarat, country Australia. It was a difficult decision, as I loved Sydney and my friends so much, but it was a great career opportunity. I travelled a bit for work and I kept going back to Sydney for the warmth weather and my friends. In one of those trips, I met Ian, now my husband for the past 5 years. Ian is a wonderful guy, always so supportive and loving, and he means the world to me. We had a long distance relationship for 1 and a half year, and in January 2015, Ian was offered a great position in Melbourne, so we both relocated to Melbourne. Due to the proximity of the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and great collaborations, I was then offered a position there. I love doing medical research, and I hope to make a difference! In my free time, I like to exercise (from pilates, interval weights and HIT programs), cycle outside (nothing serious, just for fun), and cook, especially healthy food (and sometimes I like to bake cakes too). I also love to spend time with Ian, family and friends. I believe that, until we can uncover all the secrets of our genome, a healthy lifestyle is the key for a healthy life and ageing!
Earlier in 2015, for my surprise, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. You can see my story in this video (https://youtu.be/a8QqJAhWmX0) and also in the blog. I was in Brazil when I found "Quimioterapia e Beleza". I sent my testimony to Flavia, who then invited me to lead the C&B, and that's how our story together begun! I hope I can raise awareness about breast and ovarian cancer, as well as share tips that helped me cope during chemo and made me feel beautiful, inside and outside!