A Christian breast cancer survivor lost her mum and sister to the disease. She now wants to reach out to those many hundreds of others people struggling to cope after experiencing adversity and trauma.
Bami Adenipekun has set up Inspired to Soar to help people dealing with illness, adversity or loss to 'bounce back' after life-altering events.
She says people retreat into survival mode after experiencing trauma, even though deep within, they want to live a fulfilling life.
She says: 'When you're in survival mode, you're just trying to make it through the day in one piece. Your life is on hold. Your goals and plans are on hold. You're not thinking beyond the day.
'Survival mode is a struggle but it doesn't and shouldn't last forever. If you're struggling to keep your head above water, you're not alone.'
Bami, 40, from Cockett, Swansea, fought cancer for three years after her diagnosis in March 2014. Her sister died earlier this year, and her mum in 1993.
She says: 'I know from personal experience that a traumatic event can shake your world in the most severe, distressing and painful way. Even though trauma changes your life completely, the new normal journey can be a thriving and fulfilling one.'
Hearing the diagnosis was terrifying, she says. 'I felt like the rug had just been pulled from under my feet. I lost my mum and sister to this disease so it was scary.
'It was difficult being a single mum with breast cancer. It basically capsized our world. It was hard for my daughter Amy, who was 11 at the time, as she had to grow up so fast.'
Her diagnosis and treatment impacted both her family and work.
'I was working as a bereavement adviser at the time and I was off work a lot due to illness. I felt unsupported and eventually resigned. The impact of a cancer diagnosis on a family is huge. When cancer runs in the family and you've lost those you love to it, dealing with it takes a toll on you and your family."'
While recuperating at home after surgery, she started a journal to record her feelings and emotions. This turned out to be a defining moment.
She said: 'I had spent most of my adult life counselling women at my church, inspiring them to rise above life's circumstances and yet here I was struggling to stay afloat. I wasn't practising what I was preaching.
'About three months after diagnosis, I started a journal. In it, I wrote about how breast cancer had impacted my family over the years. I wrote down the steps that helped me to re-connect with my divine purpose and inspired me to start dreaming again.
'I realised just how short life was. Here I was battling the same disease that took my mum and sister. I decided right then and there that I did not want to be defined by my diagnosis.
'I knew I would be stuck in survival mode if I didn't have an escape plan. And I knew survival mode would not just affect me but those I loved too. I didn't want that. I wanted to pursue my God-given dreams like I encourage others to.'
She has used her professional training in life coaching to develop a framework for people like her, which she has called 'Navigating Your New Normal'.
She says: 'It is not a quick fix but is a process which if followed through will bring about desired life fulfilment even in the midst of life's most painful experiences.'
Bami says despite the difficult times, her faith helped during her cancer fight. 'Being able to call on God anytime day or night was the source of the peace that got me through the difficult times.'
