Meet the Models, New England: Heather Pardo

August 14, 2023

Heather Pardo resides in the southern most tip of Texas. It’s a community she is grateful everyday to be raising her three boys in: “McAllen, TX is a real family oriented, traditional Hispanic community. Love, food and taking care of each other is part of the every day, and when something happens, like breast cancer, it’s even more so.”

Meet the Models, New England: Ruthanne Larsen Brown

August 10, 2023

Seven years prior to her breast cancer diagnosis, Ruthanne Larson Brown felt achy/sore around her breast area. She followed up with a doctor, who gave her the all clear and told her she would be a lot more sick if she had cancer. It was a statement that not only gave her relief, but stuck with her. It’s why, seven years later, she ignored the same aches and sore feeling, instead opting to address it at her mammogram. The testing would reveal stage 2 breast cancer with indications it had spread to the lymph nodes.

Meet the Models: Ashley Maxey

August 7, 2023

: “I need everyone to grasp that you need to understand and know your normal breast tissue through regulars self checks, in order to understand when shifts or lumps occur.”

Meet the Models: Balca Korkut Gok

July 31, 2023

“listen to your body. If something feels off, it usually is. No one will advocate for you if you don’t advocate for yourself. Go to the doctor- do NOT miss your annual screenings.”

Meet the Models: Ami Mehr

July 24, 2023

Her greatest advice to those newly diagnosed: “even when it hurts, you finish the race. You can be in the worst of situations and obviously everyone’s story is different, but you really need to focus on a goal. That’s what is going to get you through.”

Meet the Models: Francine Coughlin

July 20, 2023

Francine Coughlin is the definition of a go-getter. She runs her own nonprofit dog rescue organization, is a mother to a nine year old and supports her husband who is a firefighter/EMT. Just before her 40th birthday, feeling healthier than ever, she got her first mammogram. It would reveal stage 1 breast cancer: “there was no history of cancer in my family so it was extremely shocking.”

Meet the Models: Bernadette Anderson

July 17, 2023

At 69 years old, Bernadette Anderson never felt healthier. Having just graduated from the Institute of Nutrition and prioritizing her own wellness, she felt the strongest she had in years. It’s why her stage 2 breast cancer diagnosis took her by complete surprise: “I was in shock, had a lot of fear and disbelief, but immediately I went into fight mode.” Treatment included surgery, chemo and radiation.