Breast Cancer in my 40’s
Cheryl Cuddy’s Story
Cheryl Cuddy is returning to the Runway stage with a milestone she never takes for granted: 20 years since her breast cancer diagnosis.
The last time Cheryl walked with Runway was in 2017, when she was celebrating 10 years as a breast cancer survivor. At the time, she wrote, “I am proud to be alive.” Now, another decade later, those words carry even more meaning.
“I want some of these young girls to know it’s okay,” she says. “You can push through.”
Read MoreAndrea Dean’s Story
As a hairstylist, Andrea has spent years helping other women through hair loss. She has shaved heads in bathrooms and private homes, witnessing just how emotional and traumatic that moment could be.
She never expected to go through hair loss herself.
“I still remember that I said, ‘But what about my hair?’”
“People will say, ‘It’s just hair,’ or ‘It’s just eyebrows,’” she says. “That is not it. It is not just hair. It is your identity.”
That understanding has shaped how she supports others now. She knows that preserving or rebuilding pieces of beauty can also help restore a sense of self.
Read MoreWhy Our Models Choose to Dance the Runway
Experience the power of Runway for Recovery through the voices of our Models—individuals who are breast cancer previvors, survivors, currently in treatment, and those living with metastatic breast cancer, alongside the legacies of loved ones we honor and remember.
Read MoreJLynn’s Story
JLynn McCarthy’s story is one of resilience, self-reliance, and radical self-love.
“When I was told they couldn’t save my breast or nipple, I remember feeling calm… and then everything else felt distant.”
Diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2023, JLynn faced her journey largely on her own—navigating treatment, a divorce, and a move all at once. Without a strong support system, she became her own: taking herself on dates, choosing self-love daily, and ultimately embracing life flat with confidence and pride.
Read MorePatricia’s Story
Patricia San Pedro describes her breast cancer journey in a way that stops people in their tracks. “I can’t imagine what my life today would be like if I had not had breast cancer… and that sounds bizarre.”
Read MoreEve’s Story
Eve Bender’s story begins with a moment she can still picture clearly. After postponing a routine screening while caring for her father, she finally went in for her mammogram and sonogram in 2015—something she had always done together. A few days later, on a Friday night as she was pulling into the train station to head upstate to see her fiancé, her phone rang.
“Getting a cancer diagnosis actually made me realize I was giving my life to the wrong things,” she shared. Before her diagnosis, Karen had spent years building a career she loved. But in the stillness that followed, she gained a clarity she hadn’t had before.
Karen’s Story
When Karen was diagnosed with breast cancer on July 7, 2022, her life didn’t just change medically—it shifted entirely in how she saw the world around her.
“Getting a cancer diagnosis actually made me realize I was giving my life to the wrong things,” she shared. Before her diagnosis, Karen had spent years building a career she loved. But in the stillness that followed, she gained a clarity she hadn’t had before.
Read MoreLisa’s Story
Lisa’s breast cancer journey is grounded in something simple, but powerful: resilience.
Diagnosed on October 5, 2025, her experience with cancer has shaped the way she sees herself and the world around her—but it has also strengthened her in ways she carries forward every day.
“It made me resilient,” she shared, “and empowered me to help others on their journey.”
Read MoreTonya’s Story
Tonya’s diagnosis came in the middle of an ordinary moment—one that should have been filled with celebration.
“It was my son’s birthday,” she shared. “We were walking through the store looking for a football that he wanted.”
In an instant, everything changed.
“I was in complete shock. All I could think about were my three boys and how I would tell them.”
Read MoreCaroline’s Story
Caroline will never forget the day that changed her life forever. “August 21, 2024,” she shared. “It was two days after my mother’s birthday and two days before my husband’s 50th birthday.”
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