Simply Zoë

04/02/2025

The theme of the 2025-2027 campaign is “United by Unique”. The idea is to place “People at the centre of care and their stories at the heart of conversation”.
More and more people are being diagnosed with cancer, which means more and more people will be impacted in some way by a diagnosis, whether that be directly or indirectly. How a diagnosis affects the life of a person diagnosed with cancer and that of their loved ones is completely unique. No two stories are the same, everyone deals with it differently and everyone’s treatment plan is different.
Read about peoples personal and unique stories and get a real sense of the people that your kind donations reach on

03/02/2025

Cancer turned my life upside down, when aged only 39, a few months before my wedding and still hopeful to have a family, I heard the words, “You have breast cancer”.
Only a matter of days later I found out that it had already spread into my lymph nodes and bones and it was hormone sensitive which meant it was too dangerous to harvest my eggs.
My future, and that of my husbands, turned upside down in an instant. No ones future is certain, but living with an incurable illness that is potentially life shortening, is terrifying and the certainty that there would not be any children was heartbreaking.
Naturally it was a difficult few initial weeks trying to process this news and what our new future might look like, but a good friend told me, “this diagnosis is awful, but it doesn’t define you”. It switched my mindset completely. Cancer is something that is happening to me, but it’s not who I am, and while I will never thank cancer for entering my life, I am able to appreciate how it forced me to make the most of this crazy circus that is life!

09/01/2025

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a lovely time over the Christmas and New Year holidays and were able to spend time with loved ones doing things that make you happy and that you feel fully recharged!

I sometimes think that as fun as that time of the year is (I LOVE Christmas), one really needs a holiday to recover from the festivities and over-indulgence!

I had a challenging 2024, with treatments not working as well as they need to and some pretty nasty side effects to go with it. 2025 isn’t starting any differently with the news that the chemo I have been on since November doesn’t appear to be as effective as hoped for, so there are PET scans, probably radiotherapy and a likely treatment change in the near future.
I’m staying positive and making sure that I make taking care of myself a priority now, which is why I will finally be completely closing the specialist side of Simply Zoë. Building a one stop shop with specialist items to suit the needs of women in treatment and recovery was a really fun and fulfilling experience but there are now lots of amazing options and choices available, provided by experts who can help women better than I can.

The liquidation prices will remain in place until the day I close, so take the opportunity to get some bargains! Stock is quite low now, so don’t miss out! I don’t have a fixed date in place, I have too many medical appointments to focus on at the moment, but it will likely be at some point in February.

I will however, continue with FEARLESS., my charitable collaboration with Vachement Suisse. This brings me such joy and inspires me to be active when energy is low. There might even be some new additions to the collection this year, so watch this space!

09/01/2025

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a lovely time over the Christmas and New Year holidays and were able to spend time with loved ones doing things that make you happy and that you feel fully recharged!

I had a challenging 2024, with treatments not working as well as they need to and some pretty nasty side effects to go with it. 2025 isn’t starting any differently and a treatment change is likely.

I’m staying positive and making sure that I make taking care of myself a priority now, which is why I will finally be completely closing the specialist side of Simply Zoë. Building a one stop shop with specialist items to suit the needs of women in treatment and recovery was a really fun and fulfilling experience but there are now lots of amazing options and choices available, provided by experts who can help women better than I can.

he liquidation prices will remain in place until the day I close, so take the opportunity to get some bargains! Stock is quite low now, so don’t miss out! I don’t have a fixed date in place, I have too many medical appointments to focus on at the moment, but it will likely be at some point in February.
I will however, continue with FEARLESS., my charitable collaboration with Vachement Suisse. This brings me such joy and inspires me to be active when energy is low. There might even be some new additions to the collection this year, so watch this space!

21/11/2024

It’s Christmas!!!! Too soon? It’s never too soon! I love Christmas, it really is the most wonderful time of the year! We have decorated our home way earlier than usual. We were sent several signs that it was too early, with our tree lights blowing up, and then the brand new replacement set also blowing up, but today, the tree goes up!

And why not? It’s been a tough year. The treatment I had been on for a little over a year stopped being as effective. It’s a difficult pill to swallow when a treatment is no longer effective, but I try to look for the positives, the side effects were becoming increasingly unpleasant. Even more frustratingly, I started a brand new treatment, targeted to one of my genetic mutations, and after a few short months, I have metastatic progression in my bones and liver. Again, I had some adverse side effects, so I try to see the positive side. It does mean however, that I am back on intravenous chemotherapy. I had my second session this week, and the fatigue is real. Hopefully this will provide me with the reset I so desperately need. There is also a real chance that I will lose my hair again, which is nothing short of pure trauma for me.

That’s why I will continue to campaign to raise funds and awareness to ensure more treatments become available to not only extend lives, but without such brutal side effects.

So this Christmas, spoil your loved ones with a cosy hoody or cute t-shirt from our FEARLESS. collection. A percentage of all sales are donated to cancer associations and charities. Two gifts in one! www.simplyzoe.ch/fearless

You can also find us at some local Christmas markets with Vachement Suisse! We hope to see you there!

01/10/2024

Only a tiny percent (less than 15%) of all funds raised globally for breast cancer research are dedicated to metastatic breast cancer (MBC), the only kind that kills.

After over 9 years of living with MBC I am living proof that it is possible to lead a fairly normal and good quality of life.

I am currently on my 9th line of treatment, my first targeted treatment, which only goes to show that time, dedication and resources are allowing the research to be done that is resulting in treatments that will extend lives. The cure is out there and we are getting closer!

For many people, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is often overwhelming, triggering and can instil anger, myself included this year, after all, there is nothing pink and fluffy about cancer. However, the amount of awareness and funds raised during this month is invaluable.

As someone who is feeling overwhelmed this year, I understand the fine line between pinkwashing and advocating. I will post one story a day of a FEARLESS. tribe member who has previously shown their support. We’d love you to become part of the FEARLESS. tribe too, but at the very least, please share the stories within your network. Let’s fight for a cancer free future together!

23/07/2024

Liquidation of Specialist Stock! 🛍️🛒

After six years and much deliberation, I have decided to close the specialist side of my business, Simply Zoë and to concentrate solely on raising funds and awareness.

Much has changed since my diagnosis in 2015 and since starting Simply Zoë in 2018. Most importantly, there are a lot more choices available now, provided by women who have more knowledge than I do. On a personal level, living with secondary breast cancer comes with its challenges and in order to focus on my health both mentally and physically, the time has naturally presented itself to call time on what has been a rewarding six years.

I am proud of what I have created and the women that I have been able to help, but I believe my energy is best focused on FEARLESS., the charitable side of Simply Zoë. I have recently started a new treatment that has only been available globally since the end of 2023. It has never been clearer to me that raising funds and awareness is essential to ensure that people living with incurable cancer have access to treatments that can extend their lives for years, if not decades.

The specialist side of the business will slowly wind down over the coming months and to thank you all for your support along the way, there will be a liquidation sale of all lingerie, head coverings and swimwear at extremely reduced prices. Any remaining stock will be donated to cancer charities.

Thank you for your support over the years and your continued support of FEARLESS.

www.simplyzoe.ch

08/03/2024

I feel inspired that there are so many strong and capable women in my life. These women have been cheerleaders in my goal of supporting others going through a cancer diagnosis while all leading busy lives.

On this International Women’s Day, I want to highlight two women who I am honoured to call friends and who both, while raising their families, not only run their own businesses, also directly support cancer awareness and raising funds for cancer associations.

Meet Sarah, my best friend, FEARLESS. collaborator and owner of Vachement Suisse, which sells beautiful products that are all Swiss made or designed. She has a cute physical store in the stunning alpine resort of Champex-Lac in Valais, as well as an online store. I am immensely proud of what she has achieved, running a beautiful and successful business while raising money for cancer awareness and raising a large family! Check out her profile and show support for a small woman owned business.

Meet Liz who I met through a fantastic network of local entrepreneurs, who has become a good friend and is the owner of Swiss Blue, an online business where she handcrafts jewellery. She is currently expanding her skill set with a silver diploma and the results are stunning! She is incredibly talented and is also generous in her support of raising awareness and funds for cancer research and associations. Not only is she a FEARLESS. supporter, she has created a bracelet specifically to support the cause. Check out her profile and show support for this small woman owned business.

Also enjoy the continued 75% discounts on specialist lingerie, swimwear and headscarves until the end of the month.

04/02/2024

World Cancer Day is on the 4th of February every year. 2024 is the third year of a three-year “Close the Care Gap” campaign.

There are too many inequalities in cancer care, whether that is down to financial constraints, postcode lottery, or education – to name a few.

How can you help? There are so many things you can do that will only take a few minutes of your time. Head over to and get involved!

If I’m asking you to help – what am I doing?

1. During February, we will be offering a 75% discount on all lingerie, swimwear and headscarves. The added stress of cost at a time when your world has been turned upside down should not be a factor! So enjoy a massive reduction on these specialist items!

2. I have joined the Call to Action. This is where The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) “encourages everyone to ask their governments to improve health equity, to make it easier for all populations to enjoy affordable and accessible cancer care services, and to reduce disparities in cancer incidence and mortality.” It is simply a case of filling out a short online form and the UICC notifies your representative on your behalf.

3. Fundraising! As usual, a percentage of all FEARLESS. sales will be donated. We will donate February sales to World Cancer Day and UICC!

4. I will complete the World Cancer Day 5km challenge!

5. And finally, I hope by sharing information about the campaign that the word will spread and we will get one step closer to making that important social change – Closing the Care Gap!

Click on www.simplyzoe.ch/news to read my blog and access the sale and FEARLESS. collection!

22/11/2023

We won’t be joining in with Black Friday deals and this is why. If all these large businesses can offer such reductions, you have to wonder how much you overpay usually!! As a small business owner whose main goal is to raise money for cancer research, offering such deals is impossible.

Maybe this year, consider supporting small, local, sustainable businesses. They would really appreciate your support.

As would we! Check out our FEARLESS. collection to gift your loved ones this Christmas, knowing you are also supporting cancer research!

www.simplyzoe.ch/fearless

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31/10/2023

I started the Breast Cancer Awareness month with a post and a blog and I am going to end Breast Cancer Awareness with a post and a blog!

It has been an interesting month. People have a tendency to share more about their own stories during this month, myself included.

I have noticed over the years that in general there tends to be a trend of how people react and share their stories. In the beginning once the initial shock of a diagnosis has been digested and the patient understands more about their illness and their treatment plan, they go into total warrior mode. It’s exactly what I did.

Then I noticed the next stage, where a lot of people share their treatment plans, show themselves receiving their treatments and share results. I’m not one of these people as a rule.

Lots of people tend to stay in the share the journey stage. I don’t tend to. Cancer is a part of my everyday life but it doesn’t define me and I don’t want it to be the main thing people know about me or how I lead my life. I have been living with an incurable illness since January 2015 for which I have been on constant treatment.

And it is for that reason I focus now primarily on FEARLESS. It is vital that funds are raised to support research to find that elusive cure. And we shouldn’t only focus on it for one month a year, it should be constant. Metastatic breast cancer is the only breast cancer that kills and I wish very much for that to change.

You can read my blog and more about who we currently support on the website and we would love to hear from you if there are other Swiss based charities that you would like us to support or be aware of.

https://www.simplyzoe.ch/news/2023/10/31/end-of-breast-cancer-awareness-month-2023

11/10/2023

Hi, my name is Zoë, I am based in Geneva and run Simply Zoë, which is a small business dedicated to supporting women with breast cancer with specialist items as well as raising funds and awareness with our FEARLESS. collection after my own ongoing breast cancer journey.

As you are probably aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is when the illness is specifically brought into the spotlight which is wonderful, but I personally have a hard time with all of the pinkwashing. There is nothing pink, fluffy, or sexy about this illness. I personally have incurable cancer, the only kind that kills and treatments have included a mastectomy which is an amputation.

I recently started a new treatment and have had absolutely amazing results with it. But frighteningly this medication is not available to all women that have my type of cancer.

Did you know that less than 5% of all funds raised for breast cancer research are dedicated to metastatic breast cancer? That needs to change. The medication I am currently taking is very new and we need more advances like this.

What can you do to help?

1. You could buy from our FEARLESS. collection where a percentage of all sales is donated to cancer charities and associations;

2. You can let me know of any Swiss-based cancer charities or associations you would like us to support. You can check out who we currently support on our website ;

3. You can read and share my latest blog post which explains more about the treatment that I am currently on and why it's so important that all women with my kind of cancer should have access to it.

https://www.simplyzoe.ch/news/2023/9/27/breast-cancer-awareness-month-2023-and-my-new-targeted-treatment

I can't thank you enough for your support!

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month again, doesn’t the time fly! I have a love hate relationship with it. On one hand, it’s a wonderful way to bring the illness that is impacting the lives of more and younger women to the forefront, but on the other, it is also a time when the dreaded pink wash...