October’s breast cancer awareness month may be over, but the time to talk about breast cancer certainly isn’t – it never is. It’s never the wrong time to get to know your body and check for warning signs that could save your life.
Ella Vaday is a drag queen and star of the popular TV show RuPaul’s Drag Race, where she was a finalist of the third season near the end of 2021.
Towards the end of her run on the show, Ella’s mum Donna told her that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. It made coming into the public eye a lot more difficult for the drag queen, who felt her burgeoning fame was affecting her desire to spend as much time with her mother as possible.
“I think it’s one of those things that we don’t talk about enough, especially as young people,” she said, “you think, ‘I’ll only get ill when I’m older.’”
The diagnosis prompted Ella to reach out to the breast cancer awareness charity CoppaFeel. She explained, “What stood out to me was how they are so diverse on who they’re aiming at, it doesn’t matter your gender. I loved that they focused it on young people regardless of your gender.”
Ella and her mum recently partook in a campaign with CoppaFeel where they talked about her mum’s diagnosis whilst Ella put her in drag.
CoppaFeel’s focus on young people is something that Ella feels is particularly important, and with many young people being unaware of symptoms, or how to check themselves, Ella has a message for young people and students.
“Don’t spend your whole life worrying about something that might not happen, but just be aware of the signs and what to look out for,” she says. “Make sure you’re aware of your own body, be aware of how to check yourself, and any doubts, just get it checked out straight away.”
CoppaFeel exist to educate and remind every young person in the UK that checking their chest could save their life. They are the first breast cancer charity in the UK to focus solely on creating awareness amongst young people, and promoting knowledge and tools to know their bodies.
To help young people, CoppaFeel offer a variety of resources on their website to educate, including digital resources or material packs you can request free of charge. They have a self-checkout tool, which walks you through the process of checking yourself, and you can set up a text notification from them reminding you each month to check yourself.
Whilst CoppaFeel suggests that you should check your chest once a month, it may be beneficial to check more frequently in the first month to familiarise yourself with your body, so that you can be in a position to notice any changes.
These could include, to name a few, lumps or thickening, swelling in your armpit or around your collarbone, or constant, unusual pain in your breast or armpit according to CoppaFeel’s website.
Ella’s mum’s cancer was picked up by a sign like this, she said. “The start of it was literally her nipple inverting. Any sort of change can be something more serious,”
On their page Get to Know Your Boobs, CoppaFeel talks you through the various signs and symptoms that could signal breast cancer, to keep an eye out for.
Although there is no right or wrong way to check, CoppaFeel recommend in the shower, in front of a mirror or wherever you feel most comfortable.
“The main thing is to know what your normal body feels like,” Ella said. This way you are aware of any changes in your breasts, pecs or chest and can seek medical advice if you are concerned.
A common misconception within breast cancer is that it doesn’t affect men. This comes down to the idea that men don’t have breasts, however everyone has breast tissue and therefore should be regularly checking themselves. Around 400 men a year get breast cancer yearly in the UK, so although uncommon, it does occur.
Ella’s following has grown significantly after her drag race run, and she now boasts over 300k followers. With this massive platform, Ella feels almost obligated to use her voice for good.
“If I can’t do something to spread awareness for something really important and something that literally touches my family and the most important person in my life, which is my mum, then what’s the point of having a platform of people?”
Next month, fans of Ella can look forward to her Christmas tour with fellow RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 3 finalist Kitty Scott Claus.
On this, Ella said: “If anyone came to see the season 3 tour, you will have seen that me and Kitty just have the best time ever. We’re best mates, and we’re gonna cause absolute carnage around the country in December.”
The tour runs from 11-23 December.
By making everyone more aware of how they can spot the signs of breast cancer early, we can help save lives. This is why the work that CoppaFeel and Ella Vaday are doing is so important.