Every story is unique. Our patients come from diverse economic backgrounds, a variety of household situations and live in different areas of the United States. The one common denominator is that they have personally been affected by breast cancer. Read about some of their individual experiences.
“The financial burden of breast cancer treatment and reconstruction has been overwhelming and stressful, and it can significantly impact your quality of life.” Breast Cancer is a journey that no-one wants to embark on, but now I am on a massive team (code name Survivors) consisting of millions of women worldwide. My particular cancer journey […]
Rita is a single mom of three who was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma in December of 2021. Although the cancer was caught early, there was still lymph node involvement. She went through chemo from February to June of 2022, and had a bilateral mastectomy that August. She had 28 rounds of radiation, having to […]
Kimberley’s journey has been full of twists, bumps and curves. Her “Okay, I got this” attitude was lost after seven weeks of tubes, bed rest and frustration with surgery scheduling issues. Financially, cancer has been an overwhelming burden with the addition of transportation costs for doctor appointments, insurance premiums, and prescription medications. Kimberley has also […]
Alexis is married with a teenage daughter. They have always struggled financially, but have been able to make ends meet. A friend of hers who is a police officer told her about a homeless teenage boy that was sleeping on a park bench and how she would see him on every shift. They took him […]
My breast cancer diagnosis turned my world upside down. As I hung up the phone, my physician’s words echoed, “Unfortunately, your biopsy results were positive for breast cancer.” I stood alone in my dining room in a state of paralytic shock. The memory of my mother immediately began to fill my mind, as I realized that I had inherited the same […]
Brianne was diagnosed with breast cancer in September of 2020. Within the next 13 months, she had six surgeries including a double mastectomy, an incision revision, and a LAT flap procedure. Brianne was unable to work for six weeks due to her most recent surgery, and it took her a while to pay for the […]
Jennifer Johnson, 42, is a single mother to two children. With only one household income, she knew she would need financial assistance in order to receive breast reconstruction surgery. Jennifer also knew that not being able to work after the surgery would be a “great strain” on her family. However, she really needed the procedure: […]
Selina Padilla, 61, was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in December of 2019. She underwent chemotherapy and the removal and reconstruction of both breasts in 2020 and 2021. Selina said that “after a significant time of recovery from both surgeries my body has revealed the depth of the trauma it went through. I have […]
Megan Sullivan, 61, has been unable to work due to complications from breast cancer. The multiple surgeries, hospitalizations and infections made working a struggle and she lost her job. At this point, her unemployment and State Disability had run out and she was unable to complete her journey to feel whole again. Megan reached out […]
Lynn Galletti’s mom and sister Kate both battled breast cancer before they passed away. Lynn says, “knowing that I also carried the BRCA gene was weighing heavy on me in light of the rapid losses of my Mom and my oldest sister, who left a husband and 7 year old daughter behind. I feared being […]
