Posts by Caroline O'Donnell
Meet the Models: Kim Molleur & Robyn Stewart
Kim Molleur is someone everybody turns to when in need. She’s the type who is truly there for her people and radiates a special energy – in addition to feeling the energy of other’s through her work as a Reiki instructor and a Nurse.
Read MoreMeet the Models: Jodi Gauron
It’s a story heard often in the Runway community: an accidental moment of noticing a lump that turns out to be cancerous. In July of 2019, Jodi Garoun experienced just that, and at the age of 42, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Read MoreMeet the Models: Judy Goodwin
If there’s one thing we can say about Judy Goodwin it’s that she shows up for others – without fanfare or expectation of reciprocity.
Read MoreMeet the Models: Brienne Black
Like many of us, Brienne Black had a milestone birthday in Quarantine. She turned 40 this past January and decided to drive down to Florida two weeks later with her husband, Michael, and their children Alanna and William. It did take a bit of convincing to get Brienne and her family packed up in a car for the 24 hour road trip down there. However, the promise of family time in the warm weather and a very cute Golden Retriever named Charlie really tipped the scales.
Read MoreMeet the Models: Debbie First
Debbie First is a force. A powerhouse of a woman. She was one of Runway’s very first models back when we taped Christmas lights to the floor of a country club. And this year, for the 15th anniversary, she’s back.
Read MoreMeet the Models: Stacey Fusco
We welcomed Stacey to our virtual Runway last year, but today, Stacey remains positive and describes her breast cancer journey as “very smooth.” Always smiling, Stacey notes that she truly takes “every day as a blessing” and though the pandemic delayed her reconstructive surgeries- they were supposed to be complete in 2019, but did not complete until summer of 2020- she remains thankful that she has continued to be able to take advantage of life. Indeed, only five days prior to visiting the Runway offices in summer 2021, Stacey had one last major surgery and as she walked out of operating room to her father in the waiting room, he said, “you’re incredible. You still have a pep in your step after all this.” She can’t wait to honor her journey with the Runway family and we are so excited for the world to experience her positivity when she lights up the 15th Anniversary runway- this time, in person! We are honored to re-share Stacey’s breast cancer story below:
Read MoreMeet the Models: Natalie Breen
Natalie Breen’s story with breast cancer began with a woman she never knew. A woman her father barely knew. Natalie’s grandmother, Barbara Breen, was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 30s while she was raising 6 children. She passed away in her 40s, leaving behind her young children and a husband who, admittedly, felt overwhelmed and without support. “If Runway had existed [then] their lives would have ended up very differently.”
Read MoreMeet the Models: Hannah Earle
Hannah Earle is living with metastatic breast cancer. In 2016, as a 31-year old mother of 2 young children, Hannah was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Her children were just 4 and 18 months old; she was in the thick of her world as a mom when cancer came roaring into her life and altered it forever. However, Hannah was steadfast that her diagnosis would not gravely affect the childhood of her two boys. You’ll come to realize this is an ever-present theme woven into the fabric of Hannah’s story.
Read MoreMeet the Models: Liz Mover
As an ICU nurse, Liz Mover was familiar with the hardships of devastating medical diagnoses. It wasn’t something, at age 34, she thought she would have to face, but when she found a lump in her breast and started experiencing arm pain, her reality quickly altered. After a mammogram and ultrasound, Liz read over her biopsy report and was able to determine she did indeed, have breast cancer. After the news in February of 2018, “it was a total whirlwind” of genetic counselors, oncologists, surgeons and more. Liz had a double mastectomy, port placement and four cycles of chemotherapy: “it felt like time had froze, but in reality it was still very much moving. I was so involved in making a plan, but as time passed I still had to figure out how to tell my children why I would be losing my hair and feeling crappy.”
Read MoreMeet the Models: Sarah Creighton
arah Gean glows with positivity and it’s why one would never be able to guess how fraught with difficulty her breast cancer journey has been. Her diagnosis came from her own self-awareness, after she noticed swelling and tenderness in her armpit. Her ultra sound and mammogram did not show her tumor. It would be a follow up MRI that finally revealed she had breast cancer. She got the news while in the car with her family, just before Christmas, on December 21, 2019.
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