PHOTO COURTESY OF DONNA MCNUTT
“My shout-it-from-the-rooftop message for someone who has heard those three words, ‘You have cancer,’ is to find that thing you love,” says McNutt. “Don’t let cancer take it. Do it proudly, no matter how small. For me, it’s getting dressed.” McNutt documents her sartorial journey on her Instagram account (@thecancerfashionista), where she’s amassed nearly 7,000 followers. When she’s not showing off her luxe looks online, she volunteers as an arts and crafts teacher at Casa Teresa, a home in Orange for pregnant women in crisis.
I have always loved fashion, and when I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2015, I wanted to make myself feel better by dressing up for my treatments. I knew the only way my family and friends would know I would be OK was to continue to do the one thing I’ve always done with flair, which was to get dressed. Pretty soon, I was strutting down the hallways of City of Hope as if I was on a runway and not actively getting cancer treatment. Doctors began to comment on my shoes instead of cancer, and even though I was simply getting dressed, I felt I had to share this with others.
Giving back allows me to share the small pockets of joy I get from dressing up with others. The ability to share my journey as a connecting point with others has been really impactful for me on a personal level. It absolutely sets an example for the life that I want to continue to lead.
My bio on my Instagram is ‘Fighting cancer one outfit at a time,’ and I truly believe it. Living with an incurable disease is hard, but I continue to show up by getting dressed and spreading that courage and joy with others so they can be inspired to continue to shine. The Cancer Fashionista has reminded me about the importance of the little things.
My children. Their father has always been the breadwinner with a motto of ‘work hard, play hard.’ Cancer has given me the opportunity to show them how to fight and win in a different way. We play together as often as possible to celebrate life, which is so precious to us now. They each continually inspire me to keep being their example.
Photography by: ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF DONNA MCNUTT
