MILWAUKEE MEDIA INVITED TO INTERVIEW MBC THRIVERS FROM ABCD: AFTER BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS AS THE MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM LIGHTS UP IN MBC COLORS ON OCTOBER 13

MEDIA ALERT
October 10, 2025
Contact: Megan Brown, CAE, at megan@abcdmentor.org or (414) 410-3211

What:
ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis invites Milwaukee media to join local metastatic breast cancer (MBC) thrivers on Monday, October 13, as the Milwaukee Art Museum illuminates in green, teal, and pink for Light Up MBC, a global campaign marking MBC Awareness Day. The Milwaukee Art Museum is among 270 landmarks worldwide that will shine that evening to honor the lives lost, celebrate lives being lived, and raise awareness for people living with MBC.

ABCD Mentor and MBC thriver Tonya Lueder will share her story live at 8:45 pm CT from the Milwaukee Art Museum for the Light Up MBC Live virtual broadcast, hosted by fellow ABCD Mentor and MBC thriver Tami Eagle Bowling. Light Up MBC Live can be streamed online and features patient stories like Tonya’s, musical performances, and updates on new treatment advancements funded by METAvivor.

On-site with Tonya will be Keeshia Jones, ABCD’s Director of Healthcare & Community Partnerships and an MBC thriver, available for interviews about how ABCD connects people living with MBC to free, personalized emotional support from a Mentor who has a similar lived experience.

Alyssa Tsagong, another ABCD Mentor and MBC thriver, is available for phone interviews. She’s the co-founder of Temple of Kinship, a non-profit offering free-to-attend retreats for people with MBC and one friend. ABCD and Temple of Kinship share a mission to support MBC thrivers through compassion, connection, and community.

When:
Monday, October 13, 2025
8:00 – 9:00 PM CT

Where:
Milwaukee Art Museum
700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI

Why Cover This:

• MBC accounts for nearly 30% of all breast-cancer-related deaths, yet awareness and access to emotional support remain limited.
• ABCD, founded in Milwaukee in 1999 by broadcast journalist Melodie Wilson Oldenburg, provides free, personalized, one-to-one emotional support to anyone impacted by breast cancer, including people living with MBC. Melodie passed away from MBC in 2009.
• As the number of people living with MBC continues to increase, the need for emotional support for this unique group of breast cancer patients is even more significant and pivotal.
• Peer-to-peer emotional support for people living with MBC can reduce anxiety, improve quality of life, and help individuals navigate the physical and emotional challenges of treatment.

Media Opportunities Include:

• Capturing the Milwaukee Art Museum glowing in green, teal, and pink for MBC Awareness Day—one of 270+ global Light Up MBC sites.
• Interviewing local MBC thrivers from ABCD, against the backdrop of the Art Museum lit up in MBC colors, who can share personal stories, perspectives, and insights on the power of emotional support.

Media RSVP:
To confirm attendance or request interviews, contact: Megan Brown, CAE, at megan@abcdmentor.org or (414) 410-3211.

About ABCD
Founded in 1999 by the late Emmy award-winning journalist Melodie Wilson Oldenburg, ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis inspires hope and transforms lives by providing FREE, personalized emotional support to anyone impacted by breast cancer, anywhere, at any stage. As a complement to medical care, ABCD matches people with a trained volunteer Mentor who has a similar lived experience, providing compassionate support based on diagnosis, treatment, age, and lifestyle. With a fully virtual platform, ABCD helps people worldwide, ensuring no one faces breast cancer alone. Now in its 26th year, ABCD has supported more than 111,000 people through one-to-one connections rooted in shared experiences.

For more information, visit ABCDBreastCancerSupport.org or call 1-800-977-4121.

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