Woman cheers up fellow cancer patients with creative costumes

A woman who has breast cancer hopes to help others through her creative hospital outfits.

News 12 Staff

Oct 16, 2021, 12:05 AM

Updated 1,104 days ago

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and a Brooklyn woman who has breast cancer hopes to help others through her creative hospital outfits.
Bushwick native Ellen Fields said she was shocked when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer two years ago but chose to remain optimistic despite the situation.
"While you're still living and while you're still here, try to make the best of the situation. The diagnosis isn't great, but there are moments in life that aren't great, and you can make something terrible better,” said Fields.
For almost 30 appointments, Fields donned costumes, ranging from a ketchup bottle to a football player. 
She also brought along an emotional support unicorn named Sugar.
"I was really thinking this is so ridiculous, I'm 45 years old, I'm faced with this very intense diagnosis...It's almost comical wearing costumes to chemotherapy,” said Fields.
The costumes became a hit with the health care providers at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, but Fields says the impact on some of her fellow patients was powerful.
Fields is now in remission, yet she still wears costumes to every follow-up appointment.
She hopes that chemotherapy costumes become standard at all hospitals and provide momentary happiness for all cancer patients.