Personal Stories
When Tiffany was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, her world was shattered. “Never delay an appointment if there’s a problem. It’s really a matter of life and death. Advocate for yourself. Black women especially need to push for earlier appointments, ask questions and hold medical professionals accountable for doing their jobs efficiently and promptly.”
Shannon is the third woman in her family to be diagnosed with breast cancer. “I remember hearing about methods where mountain climbers will look ahead to a specific spot on their trail and make a goal to just get to that next spot,” she said. “This is what I did during my treatment and continue to do. I envisioned the top of a mountain being the end of chemo, as that was one of my biggest mountains to climb.”
Far from her family in Brazil, Juliana was living in the U.S. with her infant son when she learned she had breast cancer. “The only thought that crossed my mind was I had to have this ‘thing’ out of my body as soon as possible,” she recalled. “I needed to see my son grow up.”
In March 2022, Stephanie Hargis felt a lump in her right breast. “I went to the doctor, but I really thought, along with the nurses and doctors, that it was just a swollen lymph node,” Stephanie said. Breast cancer didn’t cross her mind. “The lump was painful, but I don’t have a family history and I was only 25.”
Getting her kids involved in a fundraiser to help support Susan G. Komen was a no-brainer for Megan Fleming. But what set this fundraiser apart from others is how close to home it hit, as Megan was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023.
Jaya Kataria’s son, Rishi, was just 13 when she was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. After watching her perseverance in the face of her illness, Rishi knew he wanted to give back to the breast cancer community, which is when he launched Pillars of Hope and began making candles to raise money to support Susan G. Komen’s mission to end breast cancer forever.
Nothing prepared Bola for a breast cancer diagnosis. In 2021, Bola learned she had right ductal carcinoma in situ and left invasive lobular carcinoma breast cancer. “Even my prior experience as an oncology nurse did nothing to prepare me for the reality of facing my own diagnosis,” Bola said. “It’s been intense.”
Ryn learned she had breast cancer at age 38. “I was fit, took care of myself and had no history of breast cancer in my family,” she said. “I was devastated. I went from my strongest to my absolute weakest in what seemed like overnight.”
In 2022, Christy learned she had DCIS. After a mastectomy, she opted not to have breast reconstruction. “I want other women to know that you can opt to ‘go flat,'” she said. “Reconstruction is not the right choice for everyone.”
Lucie had no family history of breast cancer and was under 40 when she was diagnosed with invasive carcinoma and DCIS. “My doctor reminded me that my diagnosis wasn’t a death sentence and she was thankful that we caught it early,” Lucie said. “Despite delivering this devastating news, she gave me hope.”
John Scoblick lost his daughter, Melissa Estes, to metastatic breast cancer in 2019. Now, he serves as an advocate for Susan G. Komen and Leadership Council Member in hopes that one day, no father has to lose a child to breast cancer.
Julie Bernstein knew her family history and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage put her at a higher risk for breast cancer, but she was still shocked when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. She fundraises for Komen through the MORE THAN PINK Walk to help create a world without breast cancer.
