A breast cancer diagnosis turns life upside down. And often, the difficult news comes when you’re busy with other plans. It was the summer of 2016, and Monique Wilson was preparing to celebrate her 42nd birthday. Earlier that year, she had found a breast lump. Although her doctor initially wasn’t…
Cindy Sellon has been a Mentor for six years and has mentored twenty women. Remembering how she felt that day in her car when she heard the words, “you have breast cancer” Cindy understands firsthand the importance of encouragement from someone who has been given the same diagnosis, gone through…
“Here and now.” That’s what matters most to ABCD Mentor Janice Cowden. She’s a mother, grandmother, and former pediatric nurse who’s also a passionate advocate for the metastatic breast cancer community. Janice was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011. Nearly five years later, doctors told her she had developed…
Nine years ago, Linda Settler received a life-altering diagnosis: stage 1A breast cancer. However, unlike many others, she had already mentally prepared for this diagnosis. Growing up with the knowledge that her maternal grandmother had also faced breast cancer, Linda always knew it was a matter of when, not if,…
Donna King’s life took an unexpected turn when she was diagnosed with Lynch Syndrome, a genetic disorder that made her more susceptible to developing various types of cancer. Having dealt with bladder cancer previously, she was devastated to face yet another challenge in 2023: invasive ductal carcinoma, a form of…
Kimberly Pagano grew up in southern California, alongside her fraternal twin sister, where the two were enrolled in karate classes at a young age to learn self-defense. “It set the stage for who I am today and gave me confidence in different aspects of life,” Kimberly, who goes by Kim,…
Elise Haschker could feel her mind spinning. It was January 2022, and she had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Her medical team gave her a folder full of information, but Elise was too overwhelmed to read through it. When her nurse navigator suggested attending a support group, Elise felt…
After losing her mother to breast cancer and learning she carries the BRCA2 mutation that puts her at high risk for breast, ovarian, and other cancers, Ivonne Harris didn’t hesitate to act. “As soon as I got the results, I knew what I wanted to do,” she says. For Ivonne,…
After my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, I couldn’t shake the fear that one day, I would face the disease as well. That day arrived decades later, but still much earlier than I’d expected. It was the fall of 2022, and I had gone in for my annual mammogram.…
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ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
ABCD does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.
ABCD does not provide medical advice, make diagnoses, or offer treatment options.
ABCD staff and volunteer Mentors are not licensed mental health professionals, therapists, social workers, or psychologists. They do not provide medical, therapeutic, or clinical advice. ABCD’s services are intended solely to offer peer-based emotional support and shared understanding through personal experience. If you need immediate mental health services, please reach out to your medical team or the National Hotline For Mental Health Crises And Suicide Prevention by dialing 988 on your phone.