Sharp surgeon celebrates the courage of cancer survivors

On May 31, patients, families and caregivers gathered for Sharp’s third-annual Cancer Survivors Day celebration, an event that addressed the mental, emotional and physical challenges of the cancer experience.

Dr. Noran Barry, a fellowship-trained breast cancer surgeon with Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group, affiliated with Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns and medical director of breast health at Sharp HealthCare, delivered heartfelt remarks and words of support that went beyond the walls of the auditorium. Below is her message of strength for anyone who has faced cancer or supported someone who has.

As a breast cancer surgeon, I've had the honor of walking alongside some of you and witnessing your incredible your courage and resilience. Today, we celebrate not only the survivors but also the families and friends who have been unwavering pillars of support. Your strength and dedication are truly commendable.

When we talk about cancer, we often focus on the diagnosis, the treatment, the emotional rollercoaster. But today, I want to talk about something just as important: survivorship.

Survivorship begins the moment you're diagnosed. It’s not just what comes after the last round of chemo or the final scan. It’s the day-to-day courage of living — and continuing to live — through fear, pain, hope and healing.

For those who’ve heard the words, “You have cancer,” survivorship means walking a new path — one you didn’t choose, but one you’ve faced with bravery and resilience.

For families and caregivers, survivorship is your journey too. You’ve held hands through sleepless nights, waited outside operating rooms, and stayed strong when it felt like the ground was giving way. You are part of this story.

Survivorship doesn’t mean everything goes back to “normal.” The truth is, cancer changes things. It changes bodies, emotions, relationships — even how we see the world. Some of those changes are hard. Some are empowering. All are real.

And yet, here you are. You’ve endured. You’ve adapted. You’ve grown. That is the heart of survivorship. But survivorship also comes with questions:

“Am I really cancer-free?” “What if it comes back?” “Why do I feel guilty when others didn’t survive?” “Will I ever feel like myself again?”

These questions are valid. Survivorship is not a destination — it’s a lifelong process of healing, reflecting and, sometimes, redefining who you are.

But here’s the hope: You don’t have to go through it alone.

There’s strength in community. In late-night phone calls. In walks with a friend who “gets it.” There’s healing in sharing your story, in hearing someone say, “Me too.”

And for every patient here today — whether you're one day into treatment or 10 years out — your story matters. You are living proof that hope is real. So today, we celebrate not just survival, but the strength it takes to keep living fully.

We honor every scar, every setback and every small victory. Whether you’re laughing again for the first time in months or simply getting out of bed when it’s hard — that is triumph.

To survivors: You are more than your diagnosis.

To caregivers: You are the quiet heroes.

To our social workers, navigators, rehab and lymphedema therapists, and our nutritionists: Thank you for your dedication … to life.

To everyone: Survivorship is not just about counting years — it’s about making every year count.

Sharp HealthCare is committed to supporting our patients through all phases in the cancer journey and into survivorship. Our dedicated survivorship committee is focused on supporting patients back into their new lives in a meaningful way.

Let’s continue to walk this path together, with compassion, courage and community. Because even after cancer, there is life — and it can be full, beautiful and meaningful. And, in the words of Elton John, “How wonderful life is when you’re in the world.”

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