Sisters who were diagnosed with breast cancer within a week of each other two years ago said they used “humour to get us through”. Jill Dawson, 60, and 56-year-old Jan Tuncer, from Wallasey in Merseyside, said that while discovering they both had cancer in autumn 2023 had been “a big shock… we just had to get on with it”. Following …
‘Visual medicine’: a San Diego photographer’s mission to empower breast cancer survivors
By: Elizabeth Ireland When Galina Semenova moved from Russia to the United States 16 years ago, spending the last 12 in San Diego, she never imagined her camera would become a tool for healing. Today, the fine art portrait photographer uses what she calls “visual medicine” to help breast cancer survivors reclaim their sense of beauty and power through her …
Lori’s diagnosis—and the navigator who gave her hope
By: Samantha at National Breast Cancer Foundation When a doctor at the hospital where Lori worked as a social worker told her she had breast cancer, the mother of two from Alabama was in shock. As a hospital employee, she had great insurance and trusted her medical team, but she found herself struggling to understand why this was happening to …
I Threw A Party When I Lost My Hair To Chemo—And It Was The Most Empowering Thing I’ve Ever Done
By: Sarah Barness No one warned me that losing my hair to chemo would hurt physically. I braced for the psychological toll, but I hadn’t anticipated the unbearable pain of strands that were shedding so rapidly, they twisted and tangled into dense matted clumps that felt like steel wool against my skin. They needed to be gone, like, yesterday. I …
Doctors dismissed my common ‘hormonal’ problem…it was actually stage 4 cancer that’s spread to my brain
A young cancer patient who has run out of treatment options has warned those under 50 never to assume they’re ‘too young’ for cancer—after doctors dismissed her symptoms for three years due to her age. Lea Hughes, now 38, first spotted a small lump on her right breast aged 29, in 2015. But the former fashion marketer was told by …
Three-time Cancer Survivor on a Mission to Uplift Others
From: cancer.org Standing at just 5 feet 1 inch tall, Carol Johnson-Cromer is a force of nature, radiating energy, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to lifting up others. A three-time breast cancer survivor, she was first diagnosed in 2000 at age 38 and faced breast cancer again in 2019 and 2023. Dealing with Cancer Diagnoses Her first encounter with cancer …
For Breast Cancer Survivor, Treatment was Just the Beginning
From: cancer.org “I’m sure it’s nothing. I’m too young for cancer.” That’s what Drea Sauceda told herself when she first noticed a lump in her breast during a shower in December 2021. The 39-year-old mother of two promptly made an appointment to be checked, but was convinced she was overreacting. But while waiting for test results during her appointment, the …
Breast cancer survivor shares story of finding love on her road to recovery
By: Brad Hamilton In just five minutes of sitting with Marissa Coreno, she feels like a lifelong friend. And once you hear her story, you’ll understand why. At 27 years old, Marissa was living life to the fullest. “I moved to Westlake in my mid-20s, got a job at the Cleveland Clinic,” she said. But it was at work that …
Meet Carolyn, the Texas woman celebrating being cancer-free after 21 years of chemotherapy
A woman who endured 21 years of treatment is celebrating one year of being cancer-free. Carolyn Collins, 72, of Texas, credits her faith for helping her persevere through the challenges of her diagnosis. Advertisement Diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer in 2003, Collins told KAUZ‘s Brayel Brown that she underwent radiation and chemotherapy every 21 days for over two decades. “What’s …
Two Charlotte Cancer Survivors Urge Women To Get Mammograms After Pandemic Delays
By: Jim Mayhew After skipping routine screenings during COVID-19, two Charlotte women discovered they had cancer. Their candid stories sparked a chain reaction, pushing others to catch the disease early. Amy Hyland Jones skipped screenings for three years until 2020. “I was busy and working really hard and thinking I have no family history and this is not going to …