Reclaiming Identity After Chemotherapy: Susanna’s Story
- 52 minutes ago
- 2 min read
In the pilot episode of Heal avec Delphine, we meet Susanna — a writer, artist, and yoga teacher whose life has been reshaped by metastatic breast cancer.
Once known for her long, thick hair, Susanna has faced the effects of cancer, chemotherapy, and made the courageous decision to undergo a double mastectomy. Years later, when the cancer returned as metastatic, she began chemotherapy again for the third time.
There was a moment, she shares, when she began to wonder quietly: “Is this it?”
Confronting Illness, Identity, and the Mirror
Cancer does not only change the body. It changes how a person recognizes themselves.
Hair loss. Eyebrow loss. The subtle but powerful ways illness reshapes your identity.
Through yoga and meditation, Susanna finds grounding. Breath by breath, she rebuilds her inner strength. But another layer of healing unfolds inside Delphine’s atelier in New York — a calm, intimate space where beauty restoration becomes something far deeper than aesthetic.
With her signature light-touch microblading technique, Delphine restores Susanna’s eyebrows with softness and intention. The result is natural, barely detectable — enhancing, never altering.
As one viewer shared:
“This film shows how powerful it is to recognize yourself again in the mirror, especially after something as life-changing as cancer.”
Another reflected:
“What Delphine does goes far beyond eyebrows; it’s an act of compassion that helps people feel whole again.”
A Connection That Transforms
At the heart of the episode is the evolving bond between Susanna and Delphine.
What begins as a client appointment gradually deepens into trust, vulnerability, and ultimately friendship. The camera quietly captures this transformation — the small conversations, the shared laughter, the unspoken understanding.
“The relationship between Delphine and Susanna grows from a client interaction into a real friendship, and that bond is the heart of the film.”
Supported by her devoted fiancé, Susanna allows herself to be seen — not just as a patient, but as a woman, partner, artist, and survivor.
Beauty as Emotional Healing
Heal avec Delphine challenges the idea that beauty is vanity. Instead, the film reframes restoration as dignity. As self-respect. As healing.
“It was hard to watch at times because the subject is so heavy, but it remains deeply hopeful and beautiful.”
The Artistry of Restoration
For Susanna, eyebrow restoration is not about changing her appearance. It is about walking into the world without being defined solely by cancer.
It is about seeing herself fully in the mirror again.
This is the heart of Heal avec Delphine: Resilience. Connection. Beauty restoration.
A healing transform changes the way we see ourselves.
Watch the trailer for Heal avec Delphine
Heal avec Delphine is an award-winning docuseries exploring resilience, restorative beauty, and reclaiming confidence — one story at a time.
