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…
“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…
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…
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.
Lillian Walker Shelton, originally from Philadelphia and now living in the DC metro area, is a mental health therapist who spends her days supporting others. She’s also a devoted sister, a proud Eagles fan, and someone who finds joy in music, travel, and time with loved ones. “I really love…
ABCD’s first Latina Mentor, Maria Nieves – a single mother, has lived with breast cancer for the last thirteen years. Her faith in God and ABCD have helped her through the times when the battle was not easy and giving up became her reality.
June Winters is no stranger to mentorship. Since starting her journey with ABCD in 2017 she has mentored some 25 Participants and describes her experience as an “opportunity to listen and to give a sense of hope, encouragement and empowerment to others.” Our story picks up in the fall of…
When Beth Gramz felt a hard lump in her armpit in the fall of 2018, she chalked it up to the flu shot she’d received days earlier. A month later, the lump was still there, and now she had an adjacent one in her breast after doing a self-exam. “I…
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…
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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.