Clewis Howe’s Story

In December 2020, at just 42 years old, Clewis Howe heard four words that changed everything:

"You have breast cancer."

Her diagnosis was Stage IIB, Grade 3 invasive ductal carcinoma. The cancer had already spread to her lymph nodes, and there was no time to waste.

What followed was nine months of relentless treatment—eight rounds of chemotherapy from January through April, a double mastectomy, and 26 rounds of radiation. It was physically exhausting, emotionally overwhelming, and unlike anything she had ever experienced.

But when surgery was complete, her doctors delivered the news every patient hopes to hear.

Complete response.

The treatment had worked.

Today, Clewis is preparing to celebrate five years cancer-free.

"That's 1,825 days of waking up. Of watching sunrises I almost didn't get to see. Of laughing louder, loving harder, and holding nothing back."

Her journey, however, wasn't one she walked alone.

One of the things Clewis remembers most isn't just the treatment—it was the extraordinary community that carried her through it.

Eight of her closest girlfriends created a plan.

Every single week during chemotherapy, a different friend would send a thoughtful gift. Week after week, for months, another package would arrive at her door—a reminder that she wasn't fighting alone.

"It was the most loved I've ever felt."

That circle of women became her steady foundation during the hardest season of her life, reminding her that even on the days she felt weakest, she was surrounded by people willing to carry hope for her.

Her medical team became part of that community, too.

She speaks with deep gratitude about Dr. Barbara Smith's team at Massachusetts General Hospital and Dr. Elizabeth Specht, whose expertise and compassion helped guide her through every difficult decision.

Breast cancer wasn't entirely unfamiliar to Clewis' family.

Her mother had undergone a lumpectomy in 2010 after her own breast cancer diagnosis at age 57. Genetic testing later revealed Clewis carries the ATM gene mutation, which researchers now recognize as increasing breast cancer risk.

Looking back, Clewis knows treatment changed her forever.

Life after breast cancer isn't simply returning to who you were before.

"There is a before and an after."

Five years later, she says she often looks exactly the same to the outside world, but her body feels different. There are still difficult mornings. There are still reminders of everything treatment took from her.

Yet there is also something else.

Perspective.

Joy.

Gratitude.

And a deep appreciation for simply being here.

In 2022, Clewis attended Runway for Recovery for the first time—not as a model, but to support fellow survivor Kim Daly.

She left inspired.

"I was so uplifted by the show."

Watching hundreds of people celebrate survivors while raising funds for families navigating metastatic breast cancer gave her something she hadn't realized she was missing: hope for what comes after treatment.

She knew she wanted to be part of it one day.

What resonated most wasn't simply the fashion or the celebration.

It was the mission.

Clewis was fortunate. She had exceptional health insurance, access to outstanding doctors, and a remarkable support system that never let her feel alone.

She knows that isn't every family's story.

"I had the greatest support system, insurance, and healthcare—but that isn't always available to everyone."

That's why Runway for Recovery matters to her.

The organization exists to provide families facing breast cancer with the practical support, financial assistance, and community they need—not only to survive treatment, but to continue living life in the middle of it.

"It's about giving that support to others—especially families living with metastatic breast cancer."

This October, as Runway for Recovery celebrates its 20th Anniversary, Clewis won't simply be marking another milestone.

She'll be celebrating five years of survivorship.

Five years of second chances.

Five years of waking up.

Five years of dancing through a life she once feared she might lose.

"With Runway for Recovery, I'm going to move my body—this body that has been through everything and is still here—and let every step be a thank-you. To my doctors. To everyone who held me up. And to myself, for not giving up."

And for anyone still in the middle of treatment, Clewis has one message:

"Keep going. Your dancing day is coming too."