Like the multi-colored hot air balloons in the festival in her hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Jennifer Tomlin felt tethered to the ground by her cancer diagnosis of 10 years ago. Not only that, but at the time of her diagnosis, she was in the midst of changing careers, from music…
When a loved one has breast cancer, family members and friends are affected as well. Kelli Krcma remembers supporting her sister, Kerry Claas, following Kerry’s diagnosis in 2001. Kerry was just 30 years old when she learned she had inflammatory breast cancer, a rare form of the disease that makes…
Since ABCD was founded in 1999, almost 800 people from across the United States have completed ABCD’s Mentor Training Program in order to provide our signature service: delivering customized, one-to-one emotional support to breast cancer patients, caregivers, survivors, and people living with metastatic disease. ABCD’s guiding principle is that everybody…
If you’ve never heard of Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Karen Leonard wants to change that. Diagnosed in 2009 with IBC, Karen knows firsthand how often this rare and aggressive form of breast cancer is misdiagnosed, and how important it is to connect with others who have been on the same journey.…
Kathleen Duppler first heard about ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis in January 2021, shortly after learning she had breast cancer. When her healthcare team referred her to ABCD, Kathleen reached out and was matched with a Mentor. But Kathleen’s breast cancer experience was far from over. In the fall of…
Since the day it was founded 25 years ago, ABCD has always been committed to Melodie Wilson Oldenburg’s founding vision: “No one should go through breast cancer alone.” This incredibly special and powerful video that debuted at ABCD’s 25th Anniversary Gala on June 15, 2024, features rarely seen footage of…
Breast cancer was already in Alyssa Mitchell’s life. Her mom had been diagnosed at 36, so Alyssa had always paid attention to her own breast health. Then at age 33, Alyssa found a lump, and a biopsy confirmed she had HER2-positive breast cancer. An MRI showed what was initially believed…
ABCD past Participant and current Mentor, Mary Reina talks about the phone call that changed her life. Shocked and afraid, her ABCD Mentor became her lifeline giving her the hope and support she needed at a very difficult time in her life.
At 26, Meg Stier was building her corporate retail career and enjoying her first apartment when a lump that doctors had minimized since she was 18, grew into something she could no longer ignore. “I’d been written off and told, ‘You’re young, you don’t have family history, it’s probably nothing,’”…
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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.