Triple Negative Breast Cancer, "I Won't Back Down!": Angelo Merendino ‘Observing and Reacting’ Humanizes Cancer Exhibit 2013

On October 5, 2013 returning from a breast cancer benefit, I made a stop in Cleveland to see an exhibit that I've been following for the past year of Angelo Merendino's photography of "My Wife's Fight With Breast Cancer." Angelo's work is amazing, capturing challenges and sadness as his wife battled her breast cancer. In this exhibit, 'Observing and Reacting' Humanizes Cancer, Angelo's black and white photos reveals the reactions from people passing by his wife, Jennifer, bald and using her walker as she walked in her city of New York City. Being a breast cancer survivor myself, as I walked through this exhibit and looking at each photograph, I could visualize myself walking beside her with the pedestrians staring at you with being bald and looking sick. The photographs reminds me of my own experience of when I was losing my hair, and my son didn't want me to come to his school's halloween party because he was afraid that the kids would laugh at him, because my hair was all "messed up" now. Yes, my feelings were a little hurt, but I assured him that it will be ok. I showed up at his classroom party with me wearing a fleece hat in 70 degrees weather... and all the kids were staring at me but didn't say anything... a little awkward it was.
Originally from Akron, Ohio , Angelo married Jennifer in 2006.
5 months later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and lost her battle in 2011.