Carmen Monge-Montero, Researcher at Youth Cancer Europe and Founder of Monge Consultancy, shared on LinkedIn:

“Hi Network!

I’m honoured to feature an interview with Iara Mantiñán Búa from Spain. Iara is not only a sarcoma metastatic cancer patient but also a vocal advocate against the taboos surrounding this diagnosis.

In our discussion, Iara shares her journey, including the challenges of relocating for treatment and her experiences as a rare disease patient.

Iara’s academic background is impressive: a Journalism graduate from the Pontifical University of Salamanca, with master’s degrees in International Relations from London College and Professional Journalism from ABC newspaper. With a decade of experience in international reporting, her life took an unexpected turn in 2016 when she was diagnosed with Myxoid Extraskeletal Chondrosarcoma upon returning from an assignment in Egypt.

In 2020, Iara founded Asarga (Asociación Sarcomas Grupo Asistencial), serving as its President until 2023. She worked tirelessly to bring sarcoma issues to the national stage, advocating for a standardized referral protocol to specialized centers. Her current mission is to support cancer patients by providing valuable information and promoting scientific understanding from a patient’s perspective.

Thank you, Iara, for sharing your knowledge and experiences with us and for striving to make the world a better place for those diagnosed with and beyond cancer!

Check out the documentary ‘El Sarcoma Día a Día‘ to learn more about her incredible journey:
El Sarcoma Día a Día | Documental ASARGA

MANO started as a personal project three years ago to connect with cancer survivors across Latin America. After talking to survivors from every country in that region, we decided to go global. While we started with interviews in Spanish, we’re now doing them in English too, including Iara’s, to reach and inspire even more people around the world. Stay tuned for more amazing stories!

Thank you Inspire to Live for making this connection possible!!”

Source: Carmen Monge-Montero/LinkedIn