Survivors
Meet the Models, New England: Ruthanne Larsen Brown
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.
Read MoreMeet the Models: Balca Korkut Gok
“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.”
Read MoreMeet the Models, SoCal: Jo Lynn Stueve & Carrie Purunjian
Jo Lynn Stueve was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2010. She was shocked: “I didn’t believe it. I was in total denial.” She had no family history and had emphasized being healthy and active her entire life.
Read MoreMeet the Models, SoCal: Shirley Yu
Shirley Yu’s breast cancer came as a massive surprise. She was adamant about receiving mammograms every two years and had previously been in the clear. She herself had witnessed her “niece” (though not technically related) Rachael Hsin pass away from the disease. Regular screenings gave her piece of mind, especially because she had already overcome uterine cancer.
Read MoreMeet the Models, SoCal: Rhonda Ganucheau
A simple scratch of an itch on Rhonda Ganuchea’s chest saved her life. In that quick moment she felt a bump that would turn out to be stage 2 invasive breast cancer.
Read MoreMeet the Models, SoCal: Laurie Ruiz
After a strange feeling under her armpit prompted a doctors appointment, Laurie Ruiz was sent for a mammogram and ultrasound, quickly followed by a needle biopsy. Her self-discovery paid off in that Laurie’s cancer was caught early- stage 1, estrogen positive breast cancer. She remembers her doctor saying, ““if you’re to get breast cancer, this is the best kind.”
Read MoreMeet the Models, SoCal: Tanja Cebula
While 2001 was an especially trying year for most Americans, Tanja Cebula had an added layer of hardship. Shortly after 9/11, on her twin boys’ 6th birthday, Tanja found out she had HER 2 positive estrogen receptor negative breast cancer. A mammogram at 40 revealed benign calcifications that were initially thought to be because of breast feeding, but a later ultrasound and biopsy would reveal cancer. She notes that she cancelled the appointment twice and feels grateful she finally showed up to her third reschedule. It would end up saving her life.
Read MoreMeet the Models, SoCal: Colleen Rivers
For Colleen Rivers, breast cancer has “impacted every aspect” of her life. When she was 15 years old, her mother, age 49 at the time, was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. The months preceding her diagnosis, Colleen’s mother had severe back pain, lung fluid and was short of breath. Calcifications in her breast, found through a mammogram, were not known to doctors at the time as precursors for breast cancer. She would go on to have 9 months of chemo: “In retrospect, I think we all knew she was going to die, but she did chemo for 9 months and we are talking like 1995 chemo, so she was really sick.” While her siblings were away at college, Colleen took on the primary role of helping her mother through the illness. While she notes that she “was so grateful I got to do that for her,” it meant Colleen witnessed her mother actively dying. Diagnosed in August of 1995, her mother passed the following May.
Read MoreMeet The Models, SoCal: Amy Westland
It’s a testament to Amy Westland’s character that when asked about her breast cancer experience she launches into how her journey could serve others. For nearly five minutes she recalls all the people she has connected with after they have been diagnosed. Noting all those who stepped up during her treatment, she hopes to help others by decreasing their fear and increasing their knowledge around what questions to ask and how to be best prepared for treatment.
Read MoreMeet the Models, SoCal: Aidan Morris
Aidan Morris knew she would get breast cancer. Despite being BRCA negative, she had a strong feeling for years that she would be diagnosed, so much so that she was paying out of pocket for mammograms since the age of 27. Though she did have family history- her aunt’s diagnosis at 75 and mom around 60- Aidan’s proactivity was based off her strong inkling. Her relentlessness would pay off, when at age 34, a mammogram revealed breast cancer.
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