Their story begins here
Meet the fab founders of Check Your Bits, Tamara and Ryan.
Tamara and Ryan’s journey over the past few years has been profoundly transformative and inspiring.
Tamara, mum and radiographer, and husband Ryan were a ‘typical’ Christchurch couple, leading busting lives, working, raising their young son and expecting another baby.
The lump
Their world came to a sudden halt in 2020 when lockdowns, face masks, isolation and remote work became the new norm. Like many, this time not only changed them as individuals, but also impacted their family, relationships and outlook on life.
It was during this challenging time, while performing a self-check in the shower, that Tamara discovered a lump on her left breast.
A mere ten days after discovering the lump, Tamara was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.
Life saving moments
Through her work and life experiences, Tamara was familiar with the concept of the self-check and had made it a small part of her shower routine. It was one of these small moments, that ultimately saved her life.
During the following months of Breast Cancer treatment Tamara and Ryan had many conversations about breast health and self checks with friends, family and colleagues and found it crazy, that most admitted they didn't have a regular self check habit. Some women they spoke to had never felt their own breasts.
Know your normal
It was here, in the midst of fog and squirmy depths of chemo, the vision for Check Your Bits was born - a fresh approach to cancer awareness and health empowerment - starting with a body wash to be used by the whole family.
With links to guides and info, the body wash can be used daily to cleanse and enjoy the often, only quiet moment of the day, with a reminder to self-check - with the aim of encouraging women to get to know their norm.
Check Your Bits looks to go further than this. Tamara and Ryan see it as a resource for both men and woman to find tips and tools to create self-check habits, attend workshops and find a place for support and friendship through cancer.
Tamara and Ryan have a passion to bring the one thing that saved Tamara’s life into the lives of others.
Now as a flourishing family of five, they encourage you to get to know your normal, check yourself regularly and gain the confidence to be your own biggest health advocate.
