In her job as a healthcare financial navigator, Shironda Goree works directly with cancer patients, helping them understand insurance options, financial responsibilities, and access to care. It’s work that’s deeply personal. “It’s very rewarding,” Shironda says, “because I have my own experience, I’m able to help guide them.” Long before…
Morgan Oldenburg isn’t one to seek the spotlight. But as the eldest daughter of the late Melodie Wilson Oldenburg, Morgan recognizes her role in carrying on an important legacy in the Milwaukee community. Her mother, an Emmy award-winning journalist, local anchorwoman, and television reporter, was diagnosed with breast cancer in…
In June 2016, shortly after Phyllis Eig learned she had breast cancer, her surgeon invited her to a weekly support group for newly diagnosed patients. Days later, Phyllis found herself in a room with other women who, like her, were just starting their breast cancer journeys. Their shocked expressions mirrored…
ABCD Mentors Krista and Jessica, both living with metastatic disease, share their stories and illustrate the profound impact ABCD has had on their lives in this video that debuted at ABCD’s 25th Anniversary Gala on June 15, 2024. Krista and Jessica attended the Gala and received a memorable standing ovation, as the video…
After learning that her biopsy showed cancer and hearing her surgeon’s recommendation for a lumpectomy followed by radiation, Jan Lindemann was scared. Jan had experienced side effects from radiation in the past, suffering several health problems as a result. Although Jan understood that radiation techniques had improved over the years,…
“Control is an illusion,” says Alyssa Tsagong. It’s a truth she has learned to accept as she lives with metastatic breast cancer. Initially diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in 2019, Alyssa learned in 2022 that her disease had spread to her bones and liver. “Doctors were honest with me…
Even before her diagnosis, Dara Kumbera knew what it meant to battle breast cancer. In her family, the illness was a familiar and unwelcome occurrence: her mother, grandmother, and cousin had all passed away from the disease. Dara’s own diagnosis came in 1998, when she was only 30 years old.…
Kathryn Lavey was 36, married to her high-school sweetheart, raising a three-year-old daughter, and working as creative services manager at Visit Milwaukee when she found a lump in her breast. “I put it off for a while thinking it’s just hormone cycles. Finally, I made an appointment to follow up…
Robin Schwarz was a busy mother of two young children when she learned she had breast cancer. It was 2010, and Robin did not know anyone else who had been diagnosed. Then friends introduced her to another woman who had also faced breast cancer and wanted to offer support. The…
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