Blog Posts
Erica Fontes’s Story
Erica explains her reason for walking the Runway on behalf of her mother.
“It’s my way of honoring her after 10 years.”
Read MoreSharon Tarby’s Story
Sharon Tarby never thought of herself as strong until she had no choice.
In 1999, she found a lump in her right breast over Memorial Day weekend. Soon after, Sharon learned she not only had breast cancer, but was also pregnant.
Now, more than 25 years later, Sharon’s boys are grown, and she recently became a grandmother.
Read MoreLiz Mover’s Story
Liz Mover was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2018, at age 34.
As an ICU nurse, Liz understood the weight of devastating medical diagnoses. But she never expected to become the patient.
Along the way, Liz learned that asking for help is not a weakness, but a necessary part of moving forward.
Now, having experienced that journey herself, she moves forward as a model mentor—offering the same support and care that helped carry her through.
Read MoreKaleigh Sabourin’s Story
Kaleigh Sabourin is walking in memory of her mother, who passed away from triple negative breast cancer eight years ago.
After losing her mom, Kaleigh learned that even though neither she nor her mother carried a known gene mutation, her family history placed her at high risk. For Kaleigh, choosing a preventative double mastectomy felt like one thing she could do to protect her future and be here for her children.
“With the kids, I felt like it was one thing I could do,” Kaleigh says.
Read MoreJenna Auber’s Story
Jenna Auber is almost 14 years out from her breast cancer diagnosis.
At 36, while breastfeeding her youngest son, Jenna pushed forward with early screening. Months later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer on her birthday, with her almost two-year-old sitting on her lap.
“I feel like I’m a poster child for genetic testing and early screening,” Jenna says.
Now, years later, Jenna carries both gratitude and grief.
Read MoreEmily Cohen’s Story
Emily Cohen has been part of the Runway family for more than a decade, first walking in 2012 and 2013 before returning as an alum model beginning in 2016.
But Emily’s impact on Runway goes far beyond the stage.
As a family grant reader and family liaison volunteer, Emily has supported families facing breast cancer in deeply personal ways.
For Emily, Runway is family, remembrance, science, service, and love in action.
Read MoreCallie Conroy’s Story
After learning she had dense breasts and a lifetime risk of about 27%, Callie asked her doctor to order breast MRIs. Her first MRI found breast cancer.
“Getting a breast MRI truly could have saved my life,” Callie says.
Read MoreAvamarie Warden’s Story
Avamarie never expected breast cancer to bring her into rooms she had not imagined for herself.
“I wanted no parts of any community,” she says.
But once she found one, she understood what people had been trying to tell her.
“It really is a difference when you’re around people who get it,” Avamarie says.
Read MoreBetsy Hetzler’s Story
This year, Betsy is celebrating more than 25 years of survivorship after breast cancer.
She is also honoring her mother, Sally Hetzler, who passed away from breast cancer just eight days before Frannie was born.
When Betsy was diagnosed, her children were 5 and 10 years old. Today, they are 31 and 36, and Betsy is a proud grandmother to a beautiful one-year-old grandson.
Read MoreFrannie McBrian’s Story
Frannie has been connected to breast cancer since before she was born.
“I wish that my 10-year-old self had some of the resources and the incredible opportunities that Runway gifts families and children with,” she says.
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