Winnipeg store empowers cancer fighters with hope

A cancer survivor-turned-entrepreneur is sharing her story and passion for giving hope to others in her store, called The Unexpected Gift

Between brushing wigs and organizing bras, Tara Torchia is making sure her products look just right. She knows the importance they will have for the next woman who tries them on.

“I think that I help people every single day,” Torchia said.

Torchia owns The Unexpected Gift, a store that sells products for women battling cancer. She carries mastectomy bras, breast forms, wigs, bamboo hats and local skincare products.

“There’s a lot of emotion and we have a lot of tears but I think everyone normally leaves here pretty happy,” Torchia said.

The Unexpected Gift was born after Torchia’s personal experience with breast cancer.

“I had a complete mastectomy and reconstruction, then there was lymph node involvement so the doctors decided I’d have six rounds of chemotherapy and 25 rounds radiation,” Torchia said.

She finished treatment in 2013 then decided to make a career change.

“It is really difficult to look for things or research things after you hear the words ‘you have cancer,'” Torchia said. “It’s really hard to process any of it. So having everything in one location made sense so that’s why I opened the store.”