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Charise Isis, founder and director of The Grace Project, joins Veteran Cancer Talk to share how photography has become a powerful tool for healing, visibility, and empowerment for breast cancer survivors — including veterans.

Through visual storytelling, The Grace Project is putting real faces to breast cancer and changing the way survivorship is seen, felt, and understood. The project has photographed more than 1,200 survivors, creating space for individuals to reclaim their identity, dignity, and sense of self after diagnosis.

In this conversation, Charise discusses how The Grace Project began, why humanizing breast cancer matters, and how photography can help survivors feel seen, heard, and valued. She also shares insights on early detection, the importance of self-advocacy in healthcare, and the emotional and mental health side of survivorship.

Topics include:
• The origins and growth of The Grace Project
• Using photography to humanize breast cancer
• Breast cancer in young women
• Early detection and why it matters
• Self-advocacy within the healthcare system
• The healing power of community and peer support
• Men and breast cancer awareness
• Creating a veterans-focused chapter within The Grace Project
• Exhibitions and public storytelling that honor survivor stories

This episode explores the human side of cancer beyond statistics — the fear, resilience, strength, and hope that exist alongside diagnosis and treatment. It also highlights why connection, compassion, and early detection are critical to improving outcomes for both veterans and civilians.

Whether you are a survivor, caregiver, veteran, healthcare professional, or someone who loves a person impacted by cancer, this conversation offers insight, encouragement, and a reminder that you are not alone.

Guest: Charise Isis
Founder / Director / Photographer – The Grace Project (Grace Goddess Inc.)

Website: www.the-grace-project.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/graceproject

Instagram: @800goddesses

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