“Every check can save your life” – Chiara Fadda on battling cancer
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the impact of breast cancer and promoting the importance of early detection. In this special interview, we speak with Chiara Fadda (she/her), Senior Manager Revenue & Digital at Hapag-Lloyd, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in autumn 2023. Chiara shares her personal journey of battling the disease, her strategies for maintaining a positive mindset throughout treatment, and the health advice she hopes every woman will take to heart.
Hello Chiara, who are you, and how did you come to work for Hapag-Lloyd?
If I had to describe myself, I would use the word sunny. Also, I am a very stubborn and precise person. I am 29 years old and born in Genoa, Italy, where I still live. Travelling is my passion. During the past few years, I have been to Jordan, Turkey, France, and Thailand. I love cats and, like most Italians, spending time with my friends in restaurants, drinking good wine and eating tasty food.
My journey at Hapag-Lloyd started with our Controlling department immediately after my master’s degree, at the end of 2019, when Region South Europe was built. I spent three years in our Region South Europe Business Administration department, taking care of topics such as overhead costs or demurrage and detention. When I joined Hapag-Lloyd, I immediately tried to learn as many things as possible from my manager. After a year and a half, he moved to another department. From one moment to the next, I had to finalise the monthly results and forecast and budget every quarter on my own. Most of my colleagues in Controlling joined the team at the same time. I met many people here, who became trusted friends, as well as the love of my life. In July 2023, a position in Regional Revenue Management opened. It was just the right time for me to explore new things and take on a fresh challenge.
You have been treated for recently discovered breast cancer. How do you maintain your positive attitude and high level of dedication despite facing personal health challenges?
It was 19 September 2023 when I discovered that I had cancer – a so-called triple-negative breast cancer, or TNBC. This is the most aggressive form of breast cancer because it only responds to treatment with chemotherapy. It may sound strange to say that I am lucky in my situation, but I am. I feel this way because of the love of my family, including that of my husband and his family, and the support that I receive from Hapag-Lloyd. My superiors always look after me. They ask me almost every day how they can help. My team is always there for me, trying to make me laugh. My colleagues from the Area and from my former position at Controlling are supporting me as well. I am positive because I am surrounded by love.
You want to raise awareness about regular health checks. What advice would you give to other young women based on your experience?
I discovered the cancerous mass in the shower. At three centimeters, it was quite big. That night, I decided to examine myself via self-palpation, without any reasonable motivation. I do not usually do that, but it saved my life. There was no pain in my breast, but the cancer was already there. The doctors said that two months later, it would have been too late. When I discovered it by myself, I was sure that it was nothing. But I quickly met the breast specialist, who diagnosed me through needle aspiration, and after one week I received the response: TNBC, with a very high-speed index of 85 percent. This is why nothing was found at my previous breast ultrasound in June 2023.
Chiara Fadda, Regional Revenue Management Senior Manager at Hapag-Lloyd
Before the cancer diagnosis, I took my health for granted.
My message to all women is the following: do not forget to go to your yearly check-ups, the breast echo and mammography. Please find the time to do an auto-palpation once a month. Never think you are too young. When I discovered it, I was 28 years old. Every check can save your life.How has your perspective on work and life changed since your diagnosis? Before the cancer diagnosis, I took my health for granted. When you are 28, what can happen to you? You are full of energy and have many plans. I had to postpone some of my own plans and accept that I do not have the same energy as before. Other than that, very little changed in my life and at work.
Which resources or support systems have you found most helpful during your treatment and recovery process?
I have my lucky rituals. For the first treatment, I had to have my mom close to me for the whole five hours, while my husband was waiting for me at the hospital. I was very scared. It was 24 October, my father’s birthday. I like to say that this was the date of my second birth. Then I got used to it, so that during the treatment I stayed alone with the nurses. During the recovery, I stayed in bed completely alone. The nausea and pain can get very strong. Sometimes, it took seven to ten days for me to recover. But I always thought, “Chiara, you are lucky. Many other people have no time left.”
What aspirations or goals do you have for the future, both personally and professionally?
It is weird, but when you are close to the end of the treatment, you start to be scared about the future. In my case, during the first five years, the risk of relapse is high. The cancer can return, not only in the breast, it could also affect my bones, lungs, or brain. This is why I decided to have surgery to remove the whole breast. After that, check-ups every six months are in order.The first thing I am going to do when I fully regain my strength is to take a trip to Tanzania with my husband. Everything else will come back to me slowly.
As to my professional life, I was appointed Revenue Management Team Leader, so a new adventure just started. I want to keep learning every day. The first thing I will do, is come back to the office, and hug my colleagues without having to keep my distance because my white blood cell count might be low. I want to return to living my life.
Thanks to Chiara for sharing her story!
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