On October 13, 2026, CAVIWO hosted an inspiring virtual Breast Cancer Awareness Workshop featuring Dr. Eleanor Hagen, a courageous breast cancer survivor who shared her remarkable journey of resilience, hope, and determination.
On Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Canada Virtuous Women (CAVIWO) hosted an inspiring virtual Breast Cancer Awareness Workshop featuring Dr. Eleanor Hagen, a courageous breast cancer survivor who shared her remarkable journey of resilience, hope, and determination. The workshop brought together women from across Ottawa and beyond, creating a safe and supportive space to learn, reflect, and draw strength from a story that proves that even the most difficult diagnosis can be met with courage and purpose.
Dr. Hagen's presence alone was a testament to the message of the evening. Here was a woman who had walked through the darkest valley of a cancer diagnosis and emerged not only surviving but thriving, holding a doctorate she earned while in treatment, and standing before a community of women to say, in effect, that the hardest chapters of our lives can become the most meaningful. Her willingness to be vulnerable, to share the details that are usually kept private, and to speak honestly about fear, pain, and hope, set the tone for an evening that was as much about human connection as it was about health education.
During the workshop, Dr. Hagen recounted her experience following her breast cancer diagnosis on October 23, 2023. Her journey involved extensive chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, and multiple medical complications. She described the physical toll with an honesty that was both sobering and deeply respectful of the women listening, many of whom had their own experiences with illness or had loved ones who did. She did not minimize the difficulty. She named it, and in the naming, she gave every woman in the room permission to name her own.
Despite these challenges, she remained determined to live purposefully and successfully completed her PhD while undergoing cancer treatment. The achievement is extraordinary by any measure, and Dr. Hagen presented it not as a boast but as evidence that a diagnosis does not have to mean the end of ambition, of dreams, or of contribution. She spoke about the discipline required to continue her studies through the exhaustion of chemotherapy, the nausea, the brain fog, and the emotional weight of uncertainty. She spoke about the moments when she wanted to stop, and about the people and the faith that carried her forward when stopping felt like the only option. The message was clear: purpose is not a luxury reserved for the healthy. It is a lifeline available to anyone willing to reach for it, even in the hardest season.
One of her most powerful messages was the importance of early detection. Reflecting on her initial delay in seeking medical attention after discovering a breast lump, she encouraged women to prioritize regular health checks, recognize changes in their bodies, and seek prompt medical advice. She spoke with the particular authority of someone who had lived the consequences of delay and who now devotes her voice to ensuring that other women do not repeat it. Her honesty about her own hesitation was itself an act of generosity, because it removed the shame that so often surrounds a delayed diagnosis and replaced it with a clear, compassionate call to action. She did not lecture. She shared, and the sharing carried more weight than any lecture could.
Dr. Hagen also emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive mindset, finding purpose during difficult times, and surrounding oneself with supportive people. She spoke about the days when positivity felt impossible, and she was careful never to suggest that a positive attitude alone could cure cancer. What she offered instead was something more honest and more useful: the idea that a positive mindset, supported by community and grounded in purpose, can sustain a person through treatment in a way that despair cannot. She described the friends who showed up, the family who held her, and the colleagues who believed in her even when she struggled to believe in herself. The community, she said, was not optional. It was essential, and the women who heard her understood that the sisterhood they were sitting in was itself a form of the support she was describing.
Through her initiative, Challenging My Challenges, she continues to inspire others to face adversity with courage and determination. The initiative is not a slogan. It is a practice, a way of meeting the hard things in life not by avoiding them but by engaging them directly, with honesty, with support, and with the refusal to let a challenge define the limits of what is possible. She shared stories of the women she has connected with through the initiative, women who have faced their own diagnoses, their own losses, and their own fears, and who have found in the shared practice of challenging their challenges a strength they did not know they had. The initiative is a reminder that we are not meant to face the hardest things alone, and that the courage to challenge a challenge is often found in the company of others who are doing the same.
The workshop also highlighted the importance of following professional medical guidance, maintaining healthy lifestyles, and creating safe spaces for open conversations about breast cancer. Dr. Hagen was clear that her story is her own, and that every woman's journey with breast cancer is unique. She encouraged the participants to build relationships with their healthcare providers, to ask questions, to seek second opinions when needed, and to never let fear or stigma keep them from the care they deserve. She spoke about the role of nutrition, exercise, and rest in supporting the body through and beyond treatment, and she did so without judgment, recognizing that the women listening were navigating different circumstances, different resources, and different demands on their time and energy.
Participants were reminded that breast cancer can affect both women and men. The reminder was important and often overlooked, and Dr. Hagen addressed it with the same compassion and clarity she brought to every part of the evening. She encouraged the women to share what they learned with the men in their lives, to normalize the conversation, and to ensure that the men they loved were also checking, screening, and seeking care when something felt wrong. The inclusivity of the message reflected CAVIWO's holistic approach to health, one that recognizes that a community's wellbeing depends on the wellbeing of every member of it.
Encouragingly, Dr. Hagen shared that her recent medical scans were clear, offering hope as she continues her health journey. The news was met with visible relief and joy from the participants, and the moment captured the spirit of the evening: a community celebrating together, holding hope together, and drawing strength from the resilience of one of its own. She was careful to frame the good news not as a guarantee but as a gift, and she encouraged the women to hold their own journeys with the same mixture of hope and realism, celebrating the good days and supporting one another through the hard ones.
Through this impactful workshop, CAVIWO reaffirmed its commitment to empowering women through health education, awareness, and community support. The workshop was not a one-time event but part of an ongoing commitment to creating spaces where women can learn, share, and find the strength to prioritize their health in a world that too often asks them to put themselves last. CAVIWO's Health and Disability program will continue to host workshops, seminars, and support circles throughout the year, because the conversation about breast cancer is not confined to October, and the women who need information, support, and sisterhood deserve access to it in every season.
Dr. Hagen's inspiring story reminds us that while life's challenges may be unavoidable, courage, early action, hope, and determination can make a meaningful difference. Her willingness to share her journey, with all its difficulty and all its hope, is a gift to every woman who heard her, and to every woman who will hear her story in the days and weeks to come. She did not pretend that the journey was easy. She showed that it was possible, and the showing is, for many women, the difference between despair and the first step toward hope.
CAVIWO's message, carried through Dr. Hagen's story and the community that gathered to hear it, is simple and powerful: Your health matters. Early detection saves lives. Never give up on your purpose. The words are not a slogan. They are a commitment, and CAVIWO will continue to honor that commitment by hosting workshops, sharing stories, and building the sisterhood that makes it possible for every woman to face her challenges with the courage, the support, and the hope she deserves. If you or someone you know needs information or support, please reach out to CAVIWO. Let us walk this journey together.
Written by
CAVIWO Wellness Team
Contributor to the CAVIWO community sharing stories of hope, resilience, and advocacy.
