Meet the Models, SoCal: Tamara Deiro

In 1975 when Tamara Deiro was just 10 years old, she lost her great aunt to breast cancer. It was an emotional blow, particularly because Tamara was adopted and had a close bond to her aunt, whom she felt embraced her fully as her own.

Many years later, Tamara was reunited with her birth mother and family. It was a relationship she felt grateful she was able to establish. It’s why it was especially heartbreaking when her birth mother had a recurrence of breast cancer that eventually led to her passing: “she loved me enough to give me up and I was raised by a wonderful family. My birth mother’s passing was hard, but as much as she had gone through, she was always so strong and positive.”

The passing led to Tamara’s insistence that she receive genetic testing. Luckily, she tested negative for any genetic links to breast cancer, but she is diligent about her annual screenings: “I highly encourage women to get their annual testing done and continue to advocate for themselves.”