Highlights
- Glyssa Perez's mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer twice. She used this as an inspiration to help people with the same illness.
- Even prior to her "Beauty with a Purpose" award at the Miss World Philippines 2019, Glyssa Perez has been busy with various charities helping fellow Filipinos.
- The "You are Worthy" project, in partnership with the Kasuso Foundation, helps breast cancer patients enrich their quality of life and support them with their mental and physical health.
Glyssa Perez was only ten years old when her mother, Yolie, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She never thought that the cancer will hit her mother again after almost ten years.
But instead of faltering, the young lady from Sydney used her mother's cancer journey to help hundreds of mothers with breast cancer.
“My family has always been the backbone of my pageant journey, pero si mummy, she’s the one who really encouraged me and pushed me," shares the current and first Miss Philippines Tourism under the Miss World Philippines organization.
Ms. Perez is the present spokesperson for the Philippine Foundation for Breast Care Inc (Kasuso Foundation), the only advocacy and support group that operates and manages a breast care center in a public hospital in the Philippines.
As part of her work with Kasuso Foundation, the beauty queen's "You are Worthy" project aims to impart with patients that they are not alone and that support is available while they face breast cancer.
The project focuses on improving the quality of life of patients which help with their mental and physical well-being.
Glyssa Perez conducts activities such as an exercise-based and mindfulness-wellness program which consists of Zumba, meditation, yoga and breathing exercises.
Glyssa leads the meditation, yoga and breathing exercises to help patients with their mental and physical well-being. Source: Supplied
"This is something I wish my mother did, to take better care of her health and to make more time for herself," Glyssa said.
She adds that “I missed out on the opportunity to be there for my mum when she was diagnosed and the fact that she was diagnosed again and I was not beside her during that time, patients with breast cancer are truly close to my heart."
In 2016, after several beauty pageant, Glyssa Perez decided to return to the Philippines to fulfill her dream of joining beauty pageants there while helping her kababayans.
In the same year, a month prior to Glyssa flying to her mum's hometown in Bohol, they received the second hit of breast cancer.
"A mother’s love is special. Mothers would do anything for their child even though they are going through something so heavy". Source: Supplied
It was in 2006 when Yolie was first diagnosed with breast cancer.
Glyssa was no longer supposed to go to the Philippines for the pageants, but her mother insisted that she should continue her plan and not be hold back by her mother's illness.
Eventually, the former Miss Philippines Australia 2014 pushed through competing in the Philippines and persevere with her charity works to help Filipinos especially women with breast cancer.
And in her second try at Miss World Philippines in 2019, aside from winning the Miss Philippines Tourism title, she was proud to have received the "Beauty with a Purpose" award which recognizes her important charity works.
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The young woman from Sydney, first competed at the Miss World Philippines in 2017 where she took the 1st Princess crown.
Although Glyssa is currently in Sydney due to the coronavirus lockdowns, she continues to fulfill her role at Kasuso Foundation and raises awareness about breast cancer.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority and Department of Health, 3-out-of-every-100 Filipino women are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
