Nalie Agustin

Natalie Pauline Agustin or Nalie as her follower call her was a Canadian wellness advocate, public speaker and author who touched and transformed the lives of millions, through her inspiring journey with metastatic breast cancer.

Nalie was born on November 7, 1988 in Windsor Ontario. Eight months after Nalie was born, her family moved to Montreal, Quebec. Nalie grew up with her two brothers in Chateauguay, Quebec on the south shore of Montreal. From 2000-2002, Nalie lived in Sydney, Australia with her family.

Early life and education

After completing CEGEP in 2008  VanierCollege (2006-2008), she enrolled at Concordia University and graduated with honors in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural and Communications Studies.[1]

Nalie’s first job was at La maison Simmons as Assistant Manager, then Ecommerce Coordinator for Style Exchange, and later on she worked as a project manager for Leucan Foundation.[2]

In 2013, shortly after graduating from Concordia, Nalie was diagnosed with breast cancer at only 24 years old. Nalie decided to go public and shared everything - the struggles with dealing with chemotherapy, mastectomy, radiation and reconstructive surgery — on her blog and YouTube channel, amassing a large following of supporters and fellow advocates. It transformed into a massive community and movement of resilience, empowerment, and hope.[3]

Through many ups and downs, Nalie shared her journey with the hopes of lightening the load for others facing the same adversity. From the joys of a remission in 2014, to the heartbreaking recurrence that led to metastases in the lungs in 2017 and the brain and liver in 2020, she documented her treatments (both conventional and complementary) as well as the many life lessons learned in-between. She figured if she had to go through it, she might as well make it worth it by helping someone navigate this journey filled with uncertainty.

Her work and legacy

From raising funds for Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation to publishing the e-guide Chemo Secrets, co-hosting the podcast Thriver Talks, founding the #Feelitonthefirst campaign [4], producing The Nalie Show,[5] and speaking on stages at TED, Instagram, Facebook, and the Miami Breast Cancer Conference, collaborating with brands like Apple and Savage X Fenty,French Montana to being featured in publications like Psychologies, Marie-Claire and major networks such as CTV, ET Canada, Virgin Radio and more; Nalie's testimony proved that she could not only survive against all odds, but also thrive.[6]

In September 2021, Nalie published The Diary of Nalie: A Collection of Life Lessons and Reflections Shared While Thriving Through Stage IV Cancer in 2021. The book became Amazon's best-seller for several weeks.[7]

Nalie crossed over to another life on March 22, 2022. On April 4th, a Celebration of Life was held and transmitted live to thousands of her followers across the globe.[8][9][10]

On August...2023, in accordance with one of her wishes, Nalie's Tree of Life was planted with her ashes at the Remembrance Grove in Cote de Neiges.[11]

A mural in her honor, which depicts her her life, love and love was unveiled in Montreal in August 2022.[12]

One year after her transition, Nalie Foundation was launched. The Nalie foundation is dedicated to supporting young women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Despite her passing, her legacy continues to inspire and bring hope to those facing similar challenges. Her message of resilience, empowerment, and the power of positivity lives on and serves as a testament to the impact one person can have on the world.[13]