BADMINTON BEAUTIES
Bangge Mabanta, Vangie Khu, Carla Paras-Sison, Sheila Cruz, Be Fojas
“We play for fun, for laughs, for wellness.”
We all played badminton even before we knew one another, that is, before we got diagnosed. We met through the ICANSERVE online group. Most of us had to stop playing because cancer treatment assaulted our bodies — most of the time, we felt weak, nauseous, lifeless. After completing treatment, while our bald heads grew their baby hair, badminton became a way for us to meet regularly. It was our way of destressing, and gaining back the health, fitness, and confidence that cancer took away. Our husbands joined us, sometimes our children… Those few hours together every week helped us all heal. We now call ourselves Badminton Beauties, aiming to live fully, joyfully — thanking God for His grace, His love, His mercy all the time.
#ICSat25
#SurvivorStories
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- “We play for fun, for laughs, for wellness.”
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- BADMINTON BEAUTIES (from left): Sheila Cruz, Bangge Mabanta, Be Fojas, Carla Paras-Sison (not in photo: Vangie Khu)
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- Carla Paras-Sison, chair, Committee on Information and Media, ICanServe Foundation; member, Board of Trustees, ICanServe Foundation; diagnosed in 2004, 2005 and 2021: “We met through ICANSERVE, but when my husband saw the way we played badminton, he joked that we should rename our group ICAN’TSERVE. Those few hours together every week helped us all heal.”
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- Vangie Khu, volunteer, ICanServe Foundation; diagnosed in 2004: “What brought us together was more about being breast sisters, rather than the sport. The similar experiences of fear, pain, sense of helplessness, among others, made us kindred souls and friends for life.”
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- Sheila Cruz, secretary and member, Board of Trustees, ICanServe Foundation; diagnosed in 2004: “We played for fun, for laughs, for wellness. We held hands as we took baby steps toward getting back to our active lives.”
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- Be Fojas, volunteer, ICanServe Foundation; diagnosed in 2005: “I was inspired by everyone to be active again. Being with them helped me understand that having cancer does not mean we cannot be athletic once more.”
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- Bangge Mabanta, member, Board of Trustees, ICanServe Foundation; diagnosed in 2005 and 2021: “What’s nice about it is we included our families in our journey. So, after badminton, we always looked forward to our eating/bonding sessions. The friendship blossomed — from mere strangers, we all became family.”
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- Learn about breast cancer signs and symptoms: https://www.icanservefoundation.org/about-breast-cancer/
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- Download the breast cancer patient manual: https://www.icanservefoundation.org/patients-manual/
Photos by: Leo Riingen and Rommel Abesamis and contributed by Jose Montejo
Icons of Hope is a social media campaign that features cancer survivors who share their own stories, learnings and the lives they now live. It is part of ICANSERVE Foundation’s 25th anniversary celebration in collaboration with Camera Club of the Philippines. With thanks to Owen Santos and Zonia Bandoy.