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…
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…
“The world came crashing down,” is how Angie* remembers the moment she learned she had metastatic breast cancer. It was February 2016. Angie, then 41 years old, had always been healthy. But after Angie experienced back and rib pain, her doctor ordered imaging. When the CT scan showed lesions in…
Danny’s Story “Hi, sir. Are you here to sign your wife in?” This is how Danny Riggs was greeted when he stepped inside a Texas women’s imaging center in 2018. “No, I’m here to sign myself in,” he told the receptionist, who looked surprised and irritated – until Danny explained…
Concern over breast cancer awareness being limited to the month of October, resulted in a ten-year partnership between ABCD and the Marcus Corporation. Tim Smith, talks about their role in helping to build ABCD’s awareness and how important it is for someone going through breast cancer to have someone who…
Artelia’s experience with breast cancer is one of courage, resilience, and unwavering self-advocacy. It began with several heartbreaking miscarriages in her early thirties, followed by a troubling discharge from her breasts. Despite being dismissed by doctors who said she was too young for a mammogram, Artelia refused to ignore the…
As a noise control engineer for power plants, Rich Loud lives up to his name. But when he’s not on the job, he’s pursuing his passion: running. “I’ve become a serial marathoner,” he says. To prevent chafing while running, men often put tape over their nipples, he explains. In August…
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.…
Bonnie Anderson, was at the perfect place in her life – she was a borderline empty nester, she had just married the love of her life and then a call one night from her doctor upset her world. She was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her breast cancer diagnosis guided her…
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