Nicole Niccoli’s Story

Nicole was 13 years old when her mother, Shellie, was first diagnosed with breast cancer.

Years later, in 2020, hip pain led to the devastating discovery that Shellie’s cancer had returned as metastatic disease. That same year, Nicole received her own diagnosis: invasive ductal carcinoma.

At 36 years old, Nicole began chemotherapy and underwent a double mastectomy. Her children were just 2, 4, and 6 at the time, navigating the fear and uncertainty of COVID while both their mother and grandmother were facing breast cancer.

When Nicole first shared her story with Runway in 2024, she spoke about what it felt like to be diagnosed while her mother, Shellie, was also living with metastatic breast cancer.

“It was just a lot,” Nicole says. “It was really scary.”

Because of COVID restrictions, Nicole’s husband could not be with her at appointments or procedures. At the same time, Nicole struggled to give herself permission to feel the full weight of her own diagnosis while her mother was living with metastatic breast cancer.

“I couldn’t complain because my mom was dealing with so much worse,” she says. “It was really hard battling a disease your mom is also fighting. I felt very alone.”

In January 2022, Shellie passed away. For Nicole, the loss was devastating, especially as she was trying to hold onto hope in her own treatment.

“I wanted to have hope,” Nicole says. “But you are watching your mom pass away from the disease.”

Shortly after her mother’s passing, Nicole was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Suddenly, the disease felt like it had taken over every part of her life. Days were built around appointments, scans, treatment, and doctor visits.

But with time, Nicole has found herself turning a corner.

“I am still battling,” she says. “But I have rounded this corner to stop living in fear and wake up every day and forge forward.”

Watching her mother live with and pass away from the disease has made Nicole determined to gather as much knowledge as possible, not only for herself, but for her daughters. She has entered a clinical trial aimed at learning more about her specific genetic link to breast cancer and what that could mean for the next generation.

“If this drug works for me, it could work for my girls,” she says.

Through it all, Nicole remains deeply grateful for the people who showed up when she needed them most. She has learned that support does not always come from the places you expect. Sometimes, it is the most unexpected people who show up in the most meaningful ways.

“The people who showed up for me, I just really appreciate it,” she says.

The past few years have brought unimaginable loss, fear, and uncertainty. But Nicole is choosing to keep moving forward — not simply surviving, but trying to live fully.

“Before, I wasn’t living,” she says. “But now I am trying to truly live every day.”