Survivor Stories

When I allow myself the rare glance backward to the dark early days of my cancer "journey," the memories around the core needle biopsy when my lump went from "probably nothing" to something deadly still have a sharp sting. Even though I had five surgeries that repeatedly cut away at my chest until there was nothing left, snipped and pulled my ovaries out through laparoscopic holes in my belly, and even a clean slice that took my uterus above the cervix, none of those procedur

Hi Baby, Well, by the time you read this, you’ll know that I started this email address for you right after you were born. I wanted to document certain moments of your life and create a gift of emails for you to read when you are much older. Baby, I need you to pay attention to this one. It’s going to be long, but I need you to read EVERY SINGLE WORD and more than likely come back to it -- this one is important and what I have to say needs to sink in. This week, I, your mama,

October 3rd, 2025, marks 18 years since the day I heard, “you have breast cancer.”  It all started in May 2007 when I was playing softball. I was covering second base when I took a line drive ball that hit me hard in the right breast, completely knocking me over.  I developed a big bruise that grew into a hematoma. I was in and out of doctors’ offices over the next several months with no thought of cancer. I was 37 years old with no history of any cancer in my family and was

I was 38 and living in Dayton, when the plan for my life that I had mapped out so meticulously took a radical turn for the unexpected. I was heading into my fourth season as a professional triathlete with my health and fitness dialed, but somehow breast cancer found a way to get a foothold in my body. It was all the more painful and unbelievable because I had lost my mom and grandmother to pancreatic cancer just three years earlier. I didn’t want my family to have to open up

January 9, 2017, was the day of my double mastectomy. I was considered "free and clear" on that day, but I celebrate my cancerversary on my final chemo day which was June 5, 2017. Even though it was just a precaution, it was one of the hardest battles of my life.  I was 34 on November 3rd and sitting in the doctor’s office waiting for my biopsy results with my boyfriend. He sat there cool and confident, because he couldn't allow the thought of the test being positive. I sat f

One in eight women will get breast cancer in their lifetime. Inheriting the BRCA gene, prevalent among Ashkenazi Jews, means chances increase to more than 50%. A terrifying diagnosis at any age, young women might face a uniquely devastating loss. Chemotherapy may cause permanent infertility, and tamoxifen, the drug commonly used in long- term therapy, causes birth defects if taken while pregnant. Furthermore, as adoption becomes increasingly competitive, cancer survivors are

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 at the age of 46. At the time, my son was 8 years old. Following a routine mammogram, an ultrasound and biopsy were recommended as “they saw something suspicious.” It was pretty apparent right then and there it would ultimately be a cancer diagnosis. Fortunately for me, the doctor reviewing my results was a breast cancer survivor herself, and she offered direction and encouragement for when I got the formal results as to initial step

Approximately five years ago, I ended a very toxic relationship. I wanted to be stronger both mentally and physically, so I started lifting weights. The gym gave me so much strength, even beyond the iron. Since then, my goals have varied and changed. The most recent goal for me was to return to the stage after being diagnosed with breast cancer and enduring 16 chemo treatments, 3 surgeries including a bilateral mastectomy, reconstruction, and many other procedures.  Training

There has been a lot of change in my life over the past five months. I’ve had the opportunity of a lifetime to kickstart my career transition into tech by joining GitHub as an apprentice. I have been facing my fears head on and putting my best energy out into the world. Things were good. Five months ago, my first cousin was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. We have always been close, and I was sad to hear this news, especially because she desperately wants to be a mother, and th

Diagnosed while pregnant, Handful breast cancer survivor Amy shares her journey learning that a breast cancer diagnosis isn’t an automatic death sentence, but allowing herself the grace to grieve, Amy offers her best advice on navigating the anxiety and fear, working with your healthcare team and how to process it all for those who are starting their journey with treatment.  This is her story. How did you learn that you had breast cancer? I was about 4 weeks pregnant when I

“Mom, please call me back as soon as possible. They want me to get a scan of the lump right away.” These words, left on voicemail by my 19-year-old daughter who had only recently moved 3,000 miles away to college, made my pulse race. I froze in the kitchen, looking out the same window at the same bamboo fluttering in the breeze, and remembered the “you have breast cancer” call I received 15 years ago in the exact same spot.   There was a time I thought I wouldn’t see the kind

Advocating, Anxiety & a Hamster Named Murphy? Meet Jennifer, Breast Cancer Survivor who lives her passion as an Oncology Nurse Navigator, who sat down to answer our questions about her journey and share her Handful survivor story. How long ago were you diagnosed with breast cancer? I was diagnosed 2/23/2006 (19 years ago!) – I love saying that. Who did you rely on the most for support and how did they help? I relied on my family and friends, but more importantly the Young Sur