New Zealand broadcaster Indira Stewart has gone public with news that she has been undergoing treatment for grade three breast cancer, sharing her diagnosis in an Instagram post that caught many friends and colleagues off guard.
Stewart, a well-known TVNZ presenter and journalist, revealed that her tumour was aggressive and that she began chemotherapy just two weeks after being diagnosed. She photographed herself days before her first chemo session — images she says now feel like snapshots of an old friend. Through months of treatment, she managed to keep her illness private in public settings, relying on false lashes, drawn-on eyebrows and cold capping, a scalp-cooling technique that preserved roughly half her hair volume.
The diagnosis has already reshaped her life considerably. At 41, Stewart says treatment triggered early menopause and a mastectomy, though she kept her tone characteristically upbeat, joking that she got "a new boob" and loves it. She is still undergoing chemotherapy alongside other treatment, and describes the road as long but says she feels lucky and grateful.
The post doubled as a public health appeal: she urged people not to put off check-ups, and specifically told anyone eligible to book their mammogram rather than delay it. Early detection, she made clear, matters.
The response was immediate and warm. Fellow broadcasters rallied in the comments, including 1News at Six presenter Melissa Stokes, Coast radio host and former TVNZ colleague Toni Street, and broadcaster Laura Tupou, each sending public messages of love and support.
This isn't a travel story in the usual sense — no flight deals or beach guides here. But it's a story worth passing on because of the reminder at its core: booking a routine screening is one of the simplest, most effective things a person can do for themselves, and it's the kind of appointment that's all too easy to postpone. Stewart's own account shows how quickly an aggressive cancer can move from diagnosis to treatment, and how much easier the road becomes with people in your corner.
Her full post is worth reading — and if her mammogram nudge prompts even a few readers to check when they're next due for a screening, that's a far better outcome than any holiday tip.