Exclusive
By Molly Pennington
THIS BREAST cancer survivor is challenging traditional beauty standards by modelling her scars and hair loss after evil trolls told her she looked like a “boy”
Nail artist Danni Moore (32), who lives in Bristol with her two children, Betsy (5) and Dexter (3), and her partner, Highways England Procurement Manager Ant Harris (40), underwent an elected double mastectomy, 13 rounds of chemotherapy, 15 rounds of radiotherapy, and 18 hormone therapy injections after the COVID pandemic caused her breast cancer to remain undiagnosed for a year.
Now Danni is celebrating her new body by posting pictures of her scars and bare chest to her 21K Instagram followers and 35K Facebook followers.
She had also modelled in professional photo shoots to raise awareness for breast cancer—including for the body-positive underwear brand Lounge, Oneractive, and Dorothy Perkins.
Danni has amassed a community of faithful supporters on Instagram and Facebook, but she has also been on the receiving end of hateful comments made about her body and her decision to share her journey openly.
“I’ve had hurtful comments online about the way I look,” Danni said.
“I’ve been called a boy and told I should keep some myself away from social media.
“On a bad day, these are quite hurtful. Especially when social medial is full of airbrushed perfect-looking models.
“But generally I’m positive: this is me and I’m just glad to be alive.”
Danni has modelled for various brands to celebrate different bodies.
“I was approached through my boob battle Instagram page to model for Lounge, Oneractive, and breast cancer now, Dororthy Perkins’ range,” Danni said.
“It’s hard because I was the only one on all the shoots with a flat chest.
“You look and feel different but I felt it was so important to show this side of what cancer can leave behind.
“I live with these scars every day as a reminder of what happened but how far I’ve come.
“My body is different. I’ve lost a part of me that many would say makes us feminine. It’s hard.
“But I hope by showing my scars and skin will help others feel more body confident whilst also reminding everyone to check themselves regularly.”
Danni has now finished all active treatment and hormone therapy, but her journey to remission has been extremely difficult.
“I noticed a lump in my chest around the summer of 2020 when I was breastfeeding Dexter,” Danni said.
“I thought it was blocked milk or a cyst.
“It grew bigger and looked like a bruise which made me book a GP appointment. They reassured me it was likely nothing, but referred me anyway.
“I ended up missing the referral appointment due to Covid and when I went to rebook it, I needed to go back through the GP.
“Because I thought it was nothing serious I didn’t rush to do this.
“Never did I think: cancer.
“By June time, it has grown bigger so I called the GP and they asked me to feel my armpit and I could feel a teeny tiny lump.
“They referred me, I got an appointment a few weeks later and then was diagnosed with stage 3 HER2+ breast cancer on the 1st of July 2021.
“I had some bad reactions to chemotherapy and also was only offered a single mastectomy.
“I had to fight hard for more chemotherapy and for a double mastectomy and I’m so glad I did and was able to be a part of the decision-making for what I and my body were going to look like.”
Thankfully, Danni had an excellent support system.
“I’ve had an incredible family and friend network,” she said.
“I couldn’t have managed without them all.
“They cooked, cleaned, wiped me up after a sickness episode, sent texts of support, offered childcare. They are an unbelievable army.
“I’m also lucky to be surrounded by people now who don’t make cancer a thing. I’m just Danni. Boobs or no boobs, hair or no hair. They just see me for me.
“I ended up leaving a ten-year relationship as cancer taught me that life is too short to be unhappy.
“I am now the happiest I have ever been with an incredible guy which I met through my boob battle blog.”
Danni is also determined to continue to fight for body positivity.
“Mentally it’s been tough to deal with my physical appearance changing,” she said.
“I want to try and publish my blog into a book and have it in hospitals and schools. It’s so important to normalise different bodies but also to educate people.
“Cancer isn’t nice, it drags you through the worst darkest days but I hope people can see that I am living proof that there is life after the bad times.
“I’ve never been happier and I’m literally living my fairy tale now and I don’t need long hair or boobs to do that.”
ENDS
