Lisa Carlin’s Story

How has breast cancer affected your life?

Lisa Carlin says something that might surprise people.

Breast cancer has affected her life in a positive way.

“It’s the club that everybody says you never want to belong to,” Lisa says, “but you find and meet the most incredible humans in this club.” Pasted text

That has been Lisa’s experience. Breast cancer brought fear, treatment, and uncertainty into her life, but it also brought connection, purpose, and a deep desire to give back to others who would one day walk a similar road.

 

How were you diagnosed?

Lisa was 38 years old when she found a lump.

At the time, her daughters were three and five, and she had breastfed both of them. Like many women, she wondered if the lump was connected to that, or if it was probably nothing.

Still, she made the appointment.

Her doctor also thought it was probably nothing, but wanted to check. Then came the mammogram, the biopsy, and the final diagnosis: Lisa had breast cancer. 

It stopped her in her tracks.

“Wait, what? How?” she remembers thinking.

 

What was treatment like with young children?

For Lisa, having young daughters gave her a reason to keep going.

“I didn’t really have a choice but to power through,” she says.

At the time, Lisa had just left a full-time career to stay home with her girls. Then breast cancer landed in her life. She was living in Boston and went through treatment at MGH. Soon, treatment simply became part of their routine. 

After surgery, Lisa learned she would need eight doses of chemotherapy followed by six weeks of daily radiation.

On radiation days, she and her daughters would stop at the library, hop in the stroller, and make the day work.

It became another item on the to-do list, but in some ways, that helped Lisa move through it. Her daughters gave her a bigger purpose and a reason to keep forging ahead.

 

What was life like after treatment?

Lisa is careful not to make it sound easy.

Treatment was hard. Chemotherapy felt awful. There were ups and downs, physically and emotionally.

But Lisa slowly learned what helped. Walking, moving her body, and doing what she could, even if it looked different than before, became part of how she got through it.

The year after treatment was actually the hardest.

Lisa had powered through the surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation. But once treatment ended, the fear of recurrence settled in.

“What if this comes back?” she remembers thinking.

That fear stayed in the back of her mind for years. Another survivor once told Lisa that eventually breast cancer would become more of an afterthought. At first, she would wake up thinking about it and go to bed thinking about it. But slowly, over time, it faded further from her everyday thoughts. 

Today, Lisa is 13 years out and grateful every day.

 

How did Poppies with Purpose begin?

During treatment, Lisa wore a pair of hot pink ballet flats.

Her daughters were little, and those shoes became a symbol for all of them. They knew when Lisa wore them, it meant she was going to the hospital. The shoes became a point of connection during a time when so much felt uncertain.

That stayed with Lisa.

She began to wonder if other people could experience that same feeling: a pair of pink shoes that made them feel empowered and connected to the people they loved.

That idea became Poppies with Purpose.

Through the brand, Lisa has been able to give back, connect with Olivia, and support people who are going through breast cancer now. Her hope is that a pair of pink shoes can brighten someone’s day and make their journey feel a little less lonely. 

 

How has this shaped your daughters?

Breast cancer is an everyday conversation in Lisa’s house.

Her daughters are older now — one is a freshman in college and the other is a junior in high school. They understand the value of movement, healthy habits, and taking care of themselves, while also knowing those things do not guarantee anything.

Because there is no other breast cancer history in Lisa’s family, her diagnosis has shaped the way they think about health, prevention, and support.

Through partnering with Runway, Lisa’s daughters have also learned that when breast cancer lands in someone’s life, there is a community ready to help. Her daughter’s lacrosse team at Thayer Academy has participated in Play for Runway for two years in a row, raising almost $8,000. 

For Lisa, seeing that has brought things full circle.

 

What are you most excited about for Runway?

Lisa has been part of the Runway family for years through Poppies with Purpose, but this will be her first year modeling.

She knows that Runway is a night where people laugh, cry, and leave feeling alive.

“All we have is today,” Lisa says. “How are you going to live it? Who are you going to surround yourself with? And just how are you going to find that joy?”

We can’t wait for Lisa to finally take the stage in October!