Every October, the world turns pink, literally. Logos change colors, influencers post with ribbons and hospitals publish awareness campaigns. However, between the hashtags and the sponsored posts, we forget that breast cancer is not a trend, it is a reality that still knocks on too many doors.

Last week, I spoke to a woman named Titi at a gym. She had a pink scarf tied around her head and a smile that appeared too bright for someone who had been through chemotherapy twice. “I used to think it was something that happened to older women until I was 29 and the doctor said the words I never thought I’d hear”. She laughed softly when she told me she had become an educator focusing on breast cancer. “Now I tell every woman I meet to: touch your breasts, know your body., don’t be shy about your life”. I feel this is what awareness is supposed to be, not just ribbons and health walks but truths that reach people before it is too late.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. What is often  missing from the statistics is that early detection saves lives. It is not just a medical slogan: it is the reason Titi is still here. When detected early through self-examination, clinical checks or mammograms, survival rates can reach up to 90%. But in places like Nigeria, awareness and access still lag behind. Many women only discover it when the pain becomes unbearable and by then, the fight is tougher. Somewhere in all this pink noise, we forget: the women who cannot afford screenings, the men who think it’s not their concern, the silence that follows when someone says “I found a lump”. Yes, men can get breast cancer too, rare but real. Yet, the stigma remains not just around cancer but around talking about our bodies in the first place.

Imagine if schools, churches and organizations made time for this kind of conversation every year. Imagine if we stopped seeing breast health as a “women’s issue" and started treating it like a human one. There is something about stories like Titi’s that stays with you, not because they are sad but because they’re real. They remind us that awareness is not about perfection, it's about persistence.

October will end soon and the world will move on to another campaign but breast cancer does not take a break when the ribbons come off.

So before the pink fades, let’s remember:

🌸Check your body regularly.

🌸Encourage someone to go for screening.

🌸Donate if you can.

🌸Be kind to survivors, they’re fighting more than you know.

And if you’re reading this and you’ve been scared to check, to talk or to ask questions, this is your sign. The truth is, awareness isn’t about just a month; it’s a mindset. And maybe, if we keep telling real stories like Titi’s, one day, October won’t be the one to have to remind us to care.