Meghan Sullivan’s Story

How has breast cancer affected you?

Meghan Sullivan was diagnosed with breast cancer the day before her 36th birthday.

She was young, had no family history, and the diagnosis came out of nowhere. Like so many people, Meghan was suddenly thrown into fear, uncertainty, and questions about what might come next.

But early on, Meghan made a decision.

She wanted to see herself on the other side of it.

Instead of living every minute in fear of what could happen, Meghan tried to focus her mind on the positive. 

“It was the one thing I could control,” Meghan says, “how I approached everything.”

That did not mean there were no hard moments.

But Meghan kept regrouping and reminding herself:

“You’ve got this.”

 

Why do you keep coming back to Runway?

Meghan still gets nervous before walking the Runway.

Every year, she has a moment where she wonders if she can really do it. And every year, she does.

For Meghan, returning to Runway has always been rooted in gratitude. She knows her diagnosis was not metastatic. She knows she was fortunate. And she knows that is not everyone’s story.

“I do it because I can,” Meghan says, “because there are so many women that can’t.”

What has the Runway community meant to you?

Meghan describes the breast cancer community as a club no one wants to be in.

But once you are in it, the connection can be powerful.

Over the years, Meghan has met women through Runway who have become deeply meaningful to her. She knows how much that kind of connection matters because when she was first diagnosed, she did not know many people who had been through breast cancer.

She wanted to talk to someone who was two years out, five years out, ten years out — someone who could show her that life on the other side was possible.

Now, Meghan hopes she can be that person for someone else.

“If I can speak to what it’s like to be two years out, four years out, five years out, 10 years out,” she says, “I didn’t have that when I was initially going through it.”

For Meghan, sharing stories helps people feel less isolated. Everyone’s experience is different, but there is always some thread of commonality.

“We’re really not on an island,” Meghan says. “We’re on a really big island with a lot of people.”

What advice would you give someone newly diagnosed?

Meghan’s advice is clear: advocate for yourself.

“Speak up for yourself,” Meghan says. “Advocate.”

She also wants newly diagnosed people to know that there can be another side to this.

“Believe in yourself and believe in your team,” she says. “It’s possible.”

What are we celebrating this year?

This October, Meghan will be 11 and a half years cancer-free.

“The fact that I’m here, 11 years later, talking about this and walking the runway is just unbelievable,” Meghan says.

On the Runway stage, we look forward to celebrating Meghan as she walks because she can!