Survivors
Why 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.
Across our Runway Shows in Boston, Los Angeles, and New York City, these stories come to life on stage. Each Model walks not only for themselves, but for their families, their communities, and those who can no longer walk beside them.
This is more than an event—it’s a movement rooted in resilience, connection, and purpose. It is a space where strength is celebrated, stories are shared, and a powerful community comes together to remind one another that no one faces breast cancer alone.
Inspired by her own experience, Arlene has become a source of strength for others. She now supports and uplifts newly diagnosed patients, offering empathy, guidance, and a powerful reminder that they are not alone.
JLynn’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 MoreCaileigh’s Story
When Caileigh was waiting for her biopsy results, she already sensed what was coming. “The radiologist who performed the biopsy was gentle yet clear with me that it was giving malignancy,” she shared. “In the days waiting for results, I remember telling myself if this was happening, I needed to buckle up, lock in, and get on board.”
Read MoreAstrid’s Story
When Astrid was diagnosed with triple positive breast cancer in March 2025, everything changed—but one thing became immediately clear: she would not go through it alone.
Read MoreXiaoqi’s Story
Xiaoqi Han was diagnosed with breast cancer on January 30, 2024—after a routine mammogram that had been postponed for a couple of years. What followed was a moment that instantly shifted everything. “I was more than shocked… my sky was falling.”
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