Kaleigh Sabourin’s Story

How has breast cancer affected your life?

Kaleigh Sabourin is a previvor, walking in memory of her mother.

Her mother was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2015 at age 52. She went through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, and for a few years, the cancer stayed away. Then, right before Kaleigh’s son was born in 2017, the cancer returned and metastasized to her brain.

Her mother went through radiation, brain surgery, and more radiation. Then doctors found the cancer wrapped around her spine, and at that point, there was very little they could do. She died at 56.

Kaleigh was pregnant with her first child when her mother’s cancer returned. That experience changed the way she thought about her own health, her future, and the choices she wanted to make for her children.

 

What did you decide to do with that information?

After losing her mother, Kaleigh learned that she was considered high risk.

Neither Kaleigh nor her mother carried a known gene mutation, but her mother’s family history was very heavy. On one side of the family, nearly every woman had breast cancer. On the other side, a cousin had the same kind of triple negative breast cancer and also passed away.

Because of that family history, Kaleigh was told her own chances of developing breast cancer were over 35%.

For Kaleigh, the decision to have a preventative double mastectomy felt clear.

“I didn’t even think of it as an option,” she says.

She had the surgery when her daughter was three years old. In January, it will be three years since her double mastectomy. When doctors tested her tissue afterward, they found atypical cells on her right side, meaning it likely could have turned into cancer.

 

How did being a mother shape that choice?

For Kaleigh, having children made the decision feel even more important.

She knew there are so many things in life she cannot control. But this was one thing she could control.

“With the kids, I felt like it was one thing I could do,” Kaleigh says.

Choosing prevention was a way of taking the information she had been given and doing something proactive with it. It was not just about fear. It was about action.

 

Why are you walking with Runway?

Kaleigh is walking in remembrance of her mother.

She first connected with Runway through the Boston North Cancer community and came to the show last year. That experience helped inspire her to become involved herself.

This year, Kaleigh will step onto the Runway stage in the section of the show honoring loved ones. For her, that feels like the right place to be.

“I actually prefer the remembrance,” she says.

Kaleigh will walk for her mom and in honor of the choice she made to care for herself, her family, and the life ahead of her.

We can't wait to cheer her on!