LI Breast Cancer Survivor Documents Journey In Film To Help Others
BETHPAGE, NY — Christina Mathieson-Segura is sharing her personal battle with breast cancer in a public way. But first, Mathieson-Segura had to find a positive mindset and attitude for the struggles she’d endure.
“It’s awful, don’t get me wrong,” she said.
Eventually, giving herself little milestones would make a difference, as she found a purpose.
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“So I could realize accomplishments as I went,” she said.
Her purpose took on a larger meaning by recording her journey from the start. Those videos would become a documentary: “You’ll Be OK Too,” which screened at Bellmore Movies last month.
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“I never thought of myself as being sick. I thought of it as almost like a project,” Mathieson-Segura said.
As she dealt with her diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person support was minimal, if at all. She asked her friends if they knew anyone who was treated for breast cancer.
“All I wanted was for women to tell me I was going to be fine,” she said.
She knew searching online was a bad idea, as the Internet is filled with the worst possible scenarios.
“I interviewed 26 women, in the hopes of finding out that I would be OK,” she said. “I realized that many women didn’t have the people resources that I had.”
Using her cell phone, Mathieson-Segura recorded her intimate thoughts and feelings.
“I wanted to make my whole breast cancer journey, my log of what happened,” she said. “I was hopeful that it would end up that other women would benefit from knowing what it feels like.”
Mathieson-Segura, who works as a realtor success specialist for mortgage brokers, said every woman will face breast cancer in their own way, but “I wanted to make it that whatever you’re feeling, you have every right to feel that. There’s no prescription for how you’re supposed to deal with this.”
For a year, Mathieson-Segura estimates she made 170 videos from bad days to her recovery, but she kept her cancer illness off social media.
“I didn’t want any pity,” she said.
Her plan was, once healthy, to have the videos edited into a documentary. That was only part of the project. Mathieson-Segura wanted to attach the film to a nonprofit charity where more women would have the chance to see it.
After investigating, she decided to launch her own nonprofit, although many people dissuaded her.
“How hard could it be compared to having cancer?” she said. “You can’t scare me anymore.”
A 501(c) (3) was approved, and with the same name as the movie, You’ll Be OK Too, Inc. was born.
Mathieson-Segura, who grew up in Howard Beach, knew firsthand the struggles her mother faced with breast cancer decades earlier.
“I decided I was going to do it in my mom’s honor,” she said. “I couldn’t save my mom, I was a kid, but maybe I can help save somebody else’s mom to bring awareness.”
More than just “OK,” Mathieson-Segura said she’s doing great today.
“Full recovery, I’m 100 percent,” she said. “I am determined to help other women along the way and to find other people and other sponsors that want to help me in my mission.”
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