Black Panther portrait symbolizing breast cancer survivor, Margaret Udo’s strength, unveiled at HCMC on Wednesday.
Margaret Udo and her family gathered Wednesday morning in the second-floor lobby at Hennepin County Medical Center for her portrait to be unveiled.
Soon to be revealed at the downtown Minneapolis hospital was a painting in the style of Shuri, King T’Challa’s sister in Marvel’s “Black Panther” superhero comic books and movie, to honor Udo’s journey and survival of breast cancer.
In November 2022, the nurse, who lives in St. Paul, felt a lump in her breast, and two days before Christmas, Udo learned that she had triple negative breast cancer — the most aggressive form, according to an HCMC spokesperson. Earlier that year, Udo, who is from Nigeria, had accepted a position as a registered nurse in the hospital’s oncology department.
Registered nurse Margaret Udo, a breast cancer patient and survivor, looks at her Breast Cancer Superhero Portrait Project painting at Hennepin County Medical Center Clinic and Speciality Center in Minneapolis on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. Udo, a nurse with HCMC originally from Nigeria, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022. She chose her portrait to be done in the style of the superhero Shuri, a character from comics books published by Marvel Comics, which was painted by guest artist Geno Okok, a muralist/portrait painter who is also from Nigeria. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
For six months, Udo pushed through immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Then in July 2023, she underwent a bilateral mastectomy. After that, she started radiation and continued with immunotherapy.
Although going through different cancer treatments caused a lot of physical challenges, Udo’s friends and family were always there to support her — they visited her home many frequently, brought meals and checked in regularly. One of her friends even came with Udo to each and every doctor appointment.
Portrait project
The Breast Cancer Superhero Portrait Project sponsored Udo’s painting.
Barbara Porwit, a St. Paul artist and the organizer of the project, said she believes it’s important for everyone to see themselves as superheroes and has had many people close to her be diagnosed with breast cancer. She was inspired to expand the project further.
Udo said she chose Shuri because she’s a fierce, intelligent warrior who depicts Black people as powerful. She also wanted to pay tribute to “Black Panther” actor Chadwick Boseman, who died of colon cancer in 2020.
‘Dignified beauty and quiet grace’
Nigerian-American artist Geno Okok painted the portrait of Udo. Although he couldn’t be at HCMC for the unveiling Wednesday, he wrote a statement that read: “Upon meeting Margaret, I was immediately struck by her dignified beauty and quiet grace. Learning about her life story, that grace goes deep through her whole spirit.”
The portrait includes a cross, representing Udo’s family and faith. The panther represents her courage. Udo’s foot on a rock symbolizes her crushing cancer. But most of all, Okok said, he wanted to capture her strength and beauty.
As the portrait was unveiled, Udo’s family gathered close. Her husband wrapped his arms around her, and when the cardboard covering came off, Udo’s face fell into her hands and cheers and claps filled the lobby. Udo said that all she could think was “wow.”
To her, the painting symbolizes her perseverance.
“No matter how long it takes, never give up,” Udo said.
Breast exams/mammograms
HCMC officials offered the following recommendations for detecting breast cancer early:
• Regular breast exams/mammograms are the No. 1 way to reduce the risk of dying of breast cancer.
• Only one or two mammograms in 1,000 lead to diagnosis of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. If a cancerous lump is detected early and confined to the breast, the survival rate is more than 95%.
• Asymptomatic women 40 years and older should get a mammogram annually.
• HCMC offers advanced 3-D mammography services, proven to be more accurate. It can capture multiple images of the breast from several angles. Providers recommend 3-D mammography in cases where increased accuracy is needed.
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