Special breakfast for breast cancer

Some of the fun at this morning's breakfast. Photos: Nikki South

Welcome Bay's Bex Tereu is a woman constantly on the go, working at the Parenting Place, writing a blog and business column, and being mum to two children.

When she developed breast cancer in 2015, she was forced to slow down and it didn't sit well.

'It was really debilitating, a real mind-job for me,” says Bex. 'I spent my days feeling a little sorry for myself because all I wanted to do was get out there and do stuff that matters.

'I would often daydream about what I would do when I got better and one of the things I wanted to do was a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Support Service Tauranga Trust. Without their love, care and attention my journey would have been so different.”

Now that day has come. Bex has organised a Pink Breakfast for this morning, with all proceeds going to the trust. It will form part of the One Heart United Women's Conference being held at City Church in Otumoetai.

'As well as an amazing breakfast and décor, I've been making sure we've got lots of goodies,” says Bex. 'Yes, we're raising money, but I also want to spoil these women.”

Bex runs a website and Facebook page called Life and Insights, which is geared towards giving women inspiration and encouragement, both in life and business.

Breast cancer survivor Bex Tereu wanted to spoil women at her Pink Breakfast this morning.

She also writes a blog and has just published a book called ‘Purpose Driven', based on the blogs she wrote while undergoing her cancer treatment.

Bex was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. It started with an insect-looking bite on her left breast. That bite turned out to be nothing to worry about, and health authorities were reluctant to give her a mammogram because she was only 37. At her insistence she did receive a mammogram, which found cancer in her other breast.

What followed was a mastectomy, removal of lymph nodes from her armpit, a hysterectomy, chemotherapy, radiation and a future of taking preventative medication.

Like many cancer survivors, Bex went looking for a cause for her illness.

'I was never raised with healthy living and thought natural health was all airy-fairy stuff,” she says. 'When you face trauma you open your eyes and look around at what else you can do to save your life.”

She says she became 'overwhelmed” by all the available solutions, but has since settled on a few things she finds help her the most, including the use of essential oils.

'I still like Burger King every now and then,” she laughs 'but I plan to keep researching and learning and help educate women on how to look after themselves.”

Bex says writing her blog was a life saver during her cancer treatment. 'It was gory and heart-breaking and even reading them now, I think ‘did I really go through that?'

'But I tried to turn it around and use it as a way to encourage others.”

The blogs went viral, with thousands of people reading each week. Bex has turned them into her first book, with plans for more books in the future. She will also appear on our television screens shortly in a Life TV series called ‘Overcome'.

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