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Domestic violence & child abuse survivor
My name is Manu, I am 30 years old, I was born in Punjab & grew up in...
4
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Child abuse and sexual assault survivor
Hello, my name is Sammy the MerThey. I'm a non-binary trans mermaid. I just turned 34 years old...
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Domestic violence survivor
My name is Ashlee. I was born and raised in Hayward, CA. My occupation is Deputy Sheriff.
I was with my ex-husband for...
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Human Trafficking Victim Advocate
and Drug and Alcohol Counselor
My name is Elizabeth Quiroz. I am a survivor of human trafficking, a broken foster care...
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Spinal cord injury survivor
I'm Thera, I'm 41 and I was born and raised in Vegas. Casey is 35 and grew up in beautiful...
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Domestic Violence Survivor
I'm Hailey, 26, born in Santa Clara and grew up in Silicon Valley. My childhood was unique as I spent time...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
I am willow star. I am 51. I grew up in california. Santa Clara, Clearlake, Santa Rosa, and I have been...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is Tara Coyote, I'm 51 years old. I was born and grew up in Saratoga, CA. I now live...
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Domestic Violence Survivor
My name is Ielizaveta Haluf. I was born and raised in Ukraine. At the age of 22, I got married and...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is Jenica. I'm 41 years old. I was born in San Francisco and raised in Redwood City, CA.
Cancer type,...
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The Nautilus Mermaid
My name is Gabrielle Rivera. I'm 25 years old, born and raised in San Diego, California.
Transgender history (when and how did...
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Accident, PTSD and Domestic Violence Survivor
My name is Aria. I was born in Berkeley, I grew up in Northern California.
I’m a LBKA, or...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is Brittney, I am 22 years old, and I grew up in Scranton Pennsylvania I have metastatic breast cancer. I...
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Breast Cancer Fighter
My name is Chiara D’Agostino, I’m 47 years old and I was born of Italian immigrants in Montclair, New Jersey, where...
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Navy Veteran & Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is Amber Rice, born and raised in Los Angeles. I'm currently in Hayward, CA and I'm...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is Kelly Miyahara and I’m 41 years old. I was born in West Covina, CA, and grew up in...
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Navy Veteran
My name is Andi Ward. I am 32 years old. I was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska.
I am a Navy Veteran....
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Spinal Cord Injury Survivor
My name is Mia Schaikewitz, I was born in Atlanta, GA.
I became paralyzed from the waist down when I was...
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Army Veteran
I'm Cristina M Calderon, born in East Los Angeles, Ca and currently in Long Beach, since the ocean and it's beaches are...
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Domestic Violence Survivor
My name is Zi Gattina. I'm 25 years old and was born in San Francisco, CA.
I'm a survivor of rape and...
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MMA fighter / Marine Veteran
My name is Liz Carmouche, 35 years old. I was born in Louisiana and raised in Okinawa for 17...
The Power of Total Immersion
Tokyo-born photographer Erena Shimoda discusses her groundbreaking underwater photography of breast cancer and domestic abuse survivors, people with disabilities, and those living with post-traumatic stress disorder -- and the powerful...
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Trauma Survivor
My name is Sara McMann. I'm 38 years old, I was born in WashingtonD.C. and grew up mostly in Maryland and Pennsylvania.
I...
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Army Veteran
My name is Jared Lemon. I was born in salt lake city, Utah but I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. I'm 37...
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Accident Survivor
My name is Xoe Xapoian. I was born in New York City and raised in Connecticut.
I was in an accident almost a...
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2 Time Leukemia, Colon and Kidney Cancer Survivor
My name is Peter Uwe Junglaussen, 82 years old. I'm from Flensburg, Germany.
My wife's name is...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is Hannah Blair. I'm 40 years old, grew up mostly in Washington State but I've lived in California since...
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Colorectal Bowel Cancer Survivor
My name is Clive. I am 38 years old and I was born and raised in London.
I was diagnosed with...
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Leukemia Survivor
My name is Jasier and I'm 15 years old. I'm a Leukemia survivor.
Underwater photo shoot was a blast! Before the shoot, I...
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Lymphoma Cancer Survivor
My name is Ava Paige Rico and I'm 7 years old. I was born and raised in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
I...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is Kelly Waters and I'm 30 years old. I was born in Hong Kong and grew up in San...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is Dawn Carreon and I'm 46 years old. I was born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, USA.
I had...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is Caryn Marsh. I am 64 years old. I was born in St. Louis, MO. I moved to Southern...
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Hodgkin Lymphoma Cancer Survivor
My namd is Cassandra Mitchell, I'm 33 years old. I was born in canon city, Colorado. I was diagnosed Hodgkin's...
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Cervical Cancer Survivor
My name is Tiffany and I'm 20 years old. I was born and raised in West Bay, Grand Cayman. I have...
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Hodgkins Lymphoma Cancer Survivor
My name is Sarah Harrison and I am 16 years old. I was born in Florida but I moved to...
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Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia survivor
I'm Charli, 10 years old and was born and raised in Grand Cayman. I'm a cancer survivor. Diagnosed at 13...
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Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and Anaplastic Ependymoma (brain cancer) Cancer Survivor
My name is Mechon Ebanks, 36 years old. I was born and raised in Philippines....
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Aquaphobia
My name is Yumi and I was born and raised in Japan.
I don't have a history of drowning but I never learned how...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is Laurie Ratliff, I am 54 years old. While I was born in Texas, my family came back to...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is Catherine Hung. I was born in Washington DC and grew up in suburbs of NYC. I’m Asian American...
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Spinal Cord Injury SurvivorMy name is Elena Tyurina. I am 33 years old. I was born and grew up in Saint Petersburg, Russia....
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Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is Reiko Nogami. I was born and raised in Japan. I'm now 35 years old, and a hairstylist in...
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Spinal Cord Injury Survivor
My name is Samantha Lopez, I am 22 years old. I was born in Pomona, CA, but practically grew up...
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Spinal Cord Injury Survivor
My name is Chelsie Hill and I'm 25 years old. I'm from Monterey, CA.
When I was 17 years old, I...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is Citlali Chevaili. I was born and raised in Mexico City.
I was diagnosed stage 1 breast cancer fairly young....
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Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is Ericka Hart. I grew up in the suburbs of Maryland and also Ponce, Puerto Rico. I survived from...
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Skin/Lung Cancer Survivor
My name is Leslie "Les" Miller, I am 52 and was born and raised in Maryland just outside of Washington D.C....
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Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is JoAnn White and I'm 54 years old. I'm originally from Panama and I currently live in Palo Alto,...
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Thyroid Cancer Survivor
My name is Pauline Farace and I'm 54 yrs old. I'm a make up artist. http://www.jouleface.com/
I was born and raised in...
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Stomach Cancer Survivor - Financial advisor.
My name is Steve Melen. I was diagnosed with stomach cancer in January 2008 and had my stomach,...
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Aquaphobia
In the beginning I was terrified, then I was scared, Erena was very calming and reassuring. When she told me to go under...
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Fear of Water
My name is Amy Yu.
I’m a San Francisco girl, born and raised. I consider myself a city girl, but not the...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is Betsy Kunselman. I grew up in Winona Minnesota.
I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer- stage 3B- Nov 7,...
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Brain Cancer Survivor
San Francisco, CA
My name is Maya Sycip, I was diagnosed with Brain cancer at the age of 19. The name of...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
Tucson, AR
Tina Mendenhall – Breast Cancer Survivor
I’m Tina Mendenhall, a Tucson, Arizona native. I’m a full-time mother of three, I discovered...
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Testicular Cancer Survivor
San Diego, CA,
I beat Stage 4 Testicular Cancer in 1999 and Stage 2 in 2004. My wife Mandy is expecting May...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
San Diegp, CA
I’m Juanita, a San Diego native! A two-time breast cancer survivor, I was diagnosed with Stage 2 in 1987...
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Breast and Thyroid Cancer Survivor
Thousand Palms, CA
My name is Claudia Duran I am 36 years old.
I was diagnosed with breast and thyroid cancer...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is Christa Ortiz and I am 43 years old. March 4th, 2015, I was diagnosed with a rare and...
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3 time Cancer Survivor (Ovarian, Non-Hodgkins lymphoma and Colon Cancer)
San Francisco, CA
My name is Nancy Hom and I am 57 years old. I’m...
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Thyroid Cancer Survivor
Traci, CA
August 2012, I was diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid cancer and had a full thyroidecomy , also lost one parathyroid gland....
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Wilm’s Tumor Cancer Survivor
Gilroy, CA
I was diagnosed with Wilm’s tumor a rare childrens cancer in 1985 and 1988. It changed my life in...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
Boston,MA
My name is Kimberly Santagata and I am 27 years old. I was diagnosed in May 2014 with Stage 2 Triple...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
Boston, MA
My name is Katie Shute and I’m 41 years old. I was diagnosed with Stage 2 invasive ductal and lobular...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
Somerville, MA
My name is Chien-Chi Huang. I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in June, 2005 at age 40.
Although my...
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Pediatric Cancer Survivor
Los Angeles,CA
My name is Chelsea Makela, I was born in San Francisco, CA and I have been living in Los Angeles...
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Thyroid Cancer Survivor
Honolulu, Hawaii
Almost six years ago, I was diagnosed with stage 1 thyroid cancer. I didn’t want to believe it because I...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
My name is Mailet Lopez. I was born in Cuba and currently reside in NY. I’m the founder of IHadCancer.com, an...
I was interviewed by a Brazilian TV show, Globo last year. They are documenting about Happiness. I'm at...
Credits
Erena Shimoda
Atsuko Yamagishi
Perry Hallinan
Don Skeoch
Sarah Elovich (writer)
Amy Yu (Editor)
Michiko Shimoda (translator)
Hiroaki Yamashita (music)
http://www.freesfx.co.uk (sound)
Survivors
Kim Santagata
Nancy Hom
Sante' Johnson
Mailet Lopez
Bernadette...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada)
I’m an operations manager at letsfcancer.com, an organization using the latest technologies to educate through storytelling to change...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
San Francisco, CA
I’m a hairstylist and a hand-embroiderer. I was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in 2007. I did alternative...
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Hodgkin’s Disease Survivor
Provo, Utah
I’m a veterinarian. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease and underwent six months of chemotherapy and five weeks of radiation. I...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
Aptos, California
I work as a non-profit board of director. I was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in my left breast...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
Oakland, California
I was born and raised in Japan, and I moved to the U.S. for college when I was 18. I...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
Oregon City, Oregon
I’m a realtor. I was diagnosed at 35 with Stage 2, HER2-positive breast cancer in my left breast. I...
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Testicular Cancer Survivor
Bryant Pond, Maine
I’m a general manager of Camp restaurant at Sunday River Resort in the winter and Tia’s Topside restaurant in...
I would recommend this to other survivors because it makes you feel free and appreciate the chance to do something like this versus being sick. Being underwater always feels like an escape from reality, and that is all I wanted to do during treatment.
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Brain Cancer Fighter
New Jersey, New York
I was a financial associate but on disability . I was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor...
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Endocervical Adenocarcinoma Survivor
I run a lifestyle and consulting company called The Joy Guild. I was diagnosed with Endocervical Adenocarcinoma in 2007 at age...
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Breast Cancer Survivor
San Francisco, California
I’m a managing editor at Viz Media, a Japanese licensor for manga comics and animation. I was diagnosed with...
NBC Bay Area
Erena Shimoda always had a passion for being underwater. She began shooting underwater photographs in 2005 after receiving her Divemaster certificate in Venezuela and has taken underwater photos all over the world...