Posts by Alex Hanken

While many people going through a major life challenge like a breast cancer diagnosis turn toward friends and family for support, being a good friend to someone going through treatment can be a challenging role to navigate. There are also those who will receive a terminal diagnosis, and their experience along with that of their friends can be quite difficult to navigate. We turned to one of Runway’s trusted social workers, Karen, to get her thoughts on how to anticipate some of the challenges and identify the most helpful ways to “show up” for someone that you love.

Today’s post is coming directly from me — for those who don’t know much about Runway for Recovery, I am the founder and executive director of the organization. I started it as a way to remember and honor my mother who died of breast cancer in 2001.  I am writing today from my own personal…

After years of telling the stories of models on the Runway, we have learned one very clear message: hope and joy are possible in the midst of breast cancer.

For over a decade, I’ve found myself starting a statement with the phrase, “well if I ran Runway full-time…,” referring to plans and ideas that were aspirational for an organization that I began when I was 25-years-old as a “soul project.”