ST. GEORGE — A breast cancer survivor and fashion designer is channeling her journey into an act of support by donating her handmade robes to women battling cancer. 

“While it is just a simple robe, I hope that a woman finds comfort in being able to just let her body heal through something that we shouldn’t be going through, and yet it affects so many women,” Marie Nohr said.

When St. George News last spoke with Nohr in April 2022, she shared the story of building her own fashion business from the ground up. As a mother to a special needs son, she was balancing multiple jobs and navigating health challenges. With years of experience working for other fashion companies, it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that she took a leap and launched her own business.

At the end of the interview, she said she sensed something was wrong with her health, but she didn’t yet know what it was. About six months later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Anticipating her upcoming surgeries, she realized she wouldn’t be able to cut and sew while healing. Even pulling shirts over her head or getting dressed would soon become a challenge. She began designing robes she could easily wear made from stretchy, soft fabric with an elastic tie.

About a year later, she began making robes to donate to other women fighting breast cancer.

“The robes are just a way of paying it forward because I had a lot of people helping me financially through that, including my family,” Nohr said with tears in her eyes. “They were there when I went through one of the scariest times of my life. I even got a tattoo to remind myself that I’m here.”

When she learns that someone local or connected through her Facebook network is going through a mastectomy, she makes them a robe. She also uses leftover fabric from other designs to create various robe sizes. Once she has a collection of robes, she donates them to a plastic surgeon’s office, where they are given to breast cancer patients.

Next, she plans to expand her donations to a local cancer center.

“I want to offer these robes to women going through any type of feminine cancer, like ovarian cancer,” she said.”After my surgery, wearing the robe was so convenient, especially for doctor’s appointments. I’d pair it with a cute belt, and it looked like a real outfit. My doctor would always compliment how cute I looked. And I’d say, ‘Thanks, it’s a robe.’”

As a women’s clothing designer, Nohr said she has met many remarkable women, including some who were battling breast cancer long before she faced it herself. During a fitting one day, she confided in a cancer survivor that she had discovered a lump. That woman played a crucial role in guiding her through her own cancer journey.

“It’s been really nice building that tribe of women that support my business, but also be able to reach out and confirm decisions and things like that that I’ve been making throughout my journey,” she said. “The support I have had is unreal.”

The diagnosis

After being rushed to the emergency room by her friends, doctors initially suspected a heart issue and referred her to a cardiologist. However, Nohr said the cardiologist found nothing wrong and attributed her symptoms to anxiety. Despite this, she continued to experience a range of symptoms, including extreme fatigue and severe dizzy spells.

“Being an independent parent running my own fashion business, being an autism mom, those things could equal fatigue, but it was a whole new thing for me,” she said.

Three months later, after a particularly challenging week, she was doing her evening meditation and preparing for bed when she accidentally bumped her breast and felt a lump. At that moment, she knew that this was the source of her illness. She immediately contacted her doctor, who performed an examination and promptly ordered a mammogram.

The process from discovering the lump to receiving the official diagnosis took about a month. As a whole, she said it was a lengthy and challenging journey, but eventually, a tumor nearly 2 inches in size was detected, and she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. 

She underwent a lumpectomy and had a lymph node removed that was showing early signs of metastasis.

“It was kind of a weird timeline because all of these wonderful things were happening,” she said. “I was on a billboard in Times Square, New York City. Then it obviously came crashing down because I had to let myself heal.”

After her mastectomy, lab results indicated that she wouldn’t need chemotherapy. She was given the option of either undergoing another lumpectomy, which might remove any remaining cancer or opting for a full mastectomy. She chose the full mastectomy for peace of mind and the chance to move forward with her life. And she’s glad she did, she said.

When her final results arrived, they revealed an additional 4 centimeters of precancerous cells, which would have affected her entire right breast.

Nohr recently received her final bloodwork results, which confirmed that her cancer margins are clear. She is officially in remission and will be closely monitored for the next five years following her radiation treatments. Additionally, since breast cancer survivors are at risk for bone cancer and potential metastasis to the brain, her health will be carefully observed.

It’s been two years since her mastectomy, and November will mark two years since she completed her radiation treatments. She celebrates both milestones with gratitude.

Nohr advocates for women’s health, urging them to prioritize regular self-exams and medical check-ups. Drawing from her own experience with breast cancer, she emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and early detection. Nohr encourages women to perform routine self-exams and to seek professional evaluations if they notice any changes or irregularities.

Her message is clear: staying proactive can make a significant difference in early diagnosis and treatment, ultimately improving outcomes and empowering women to take control of their health.

“I didn’t think anything of it because I had no family history,” she said. “I didn’t think that was a possibility. Family history does not matter anymore. Age doesn’t matter anymore. The CDC says to start getting checked at 40 and I was 36 when I found out.”

Visit Nohr’s website and Etsy shop, or follow her stylish adventures on Instagram and TikTok.

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