Community Stories
Becky Read’s Story
Diagnosed at 39, Becky Read found ways to take back control. Her husband shaved her head before chemo could take her hair. After treatment, she threw herself a party called “Becky Got a New Rack,” complete with a band, red devil Jell-O shots, and a show-stopping T-Shirt: “Yeah, they’re fake. The real ones tried to kill me.”
Now, Becky is returning to the Runway stage not only as a survivor, but in honor of her mother and aunt, both of whom passed away from cancer after her own treatment ended.
“I just feel like I need to do this again,” she says.
Read MoreCrystal Davis Named Recipient of the 2026 Ilene Beal Legacy of Leadership Award
Runway for Recovery is proud to announce Crystal Davis as the recipient of the 2026 Ilene Beal Legacy of Leadership Award.
Read MoreKathryn Phillips Named Recipient of the 2026 Bill Achtmeyer High-Five Award
Runway for Recovery is proud to announce Kathryn Phillips as the recipient of the 2026 Bill Achtmeyer High-Five Award.
Read MoreWelcome New Board of Directors
Runway for Recovery welcomes Peter Ferrari, Dr. Melissa Rudolph, and Karen Elizaga to our Board of Directors as we celebrate 20 years of serving families facing metastatic breast cancer and loss.
Read MoreRebecca Muirhead’s Story
Rebecca Muirhead grew up knowing breast cancer was part of her family story.
Her grandmother was diagnosed around 48. Her mother was diagnosed at 40 and faced breast cancer twice. Because of that history, Rebecca began seeing breast doctors when she was just 18 and started mammograms at 30.
That early screening changed everything. After a mammogram found atypical ductal hyperplasia, an MRI revealed stage I invasive breast cancer.
“It really changed me,” Rebecca says. “I’m telling all my friends, just go and get it checked.”
Read MoreLori Coleman’s Story
Lori believes there is room for humor, even in cancer.
When preparing to support a 13-year-old family friend with aggressive Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma as she shaved her head, Lori considered bringing a cake that said, “Buzz off cancer.”
“Why can’t it be a party?” she says.
But underneath the humor is Lori’s deepest reason for pushing forward: her family.
“I promised my kids I would do anything I needed to do to be here for them,” she says.
Read MoreAlyssa Wakeley’s Story
Breast cancer changed the way Alyssa saw her body, her confidence, and her sense of femininity.
Diagnosed at 27 with stage III breast cancer, Alyssa went through chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, radiation, and reconstruction while raising two young children during the height of the pandemic.
She is honest about how hard it can be to look in the mirror after breast cancer, even after reconstruction.
“They may be perky, but you sometimes don’t feel like a woman,” she says. “It’s very hard mentally.”
Now, as she prepares to step onto the Runway stage, Alyssa wants other women to know that beauty is not something cancer gets to take away.
“No matter what changes have happened to your body, you are still a woman,” she says. “You’re still beautiful.”
Read MoreRobyn Stoddard’s Story
Robyn Stoddard found Runway for Recovery on the same day she had her first oncology appointment.
It was Boston Marathon Monday, and after watching runners raise money for cancer organizations, something clicked.
“I was like, you know what? I’m going to run the Boston Marathon next year.”
That search led her to Runway, and soon after, she was selected to model in Boston. Newly diagnosed and still in the middle of treatment planning, Robyn is approaching this chapter with the same determination that has carried her through marathons, public health work, and a career built around science: one step, one question, and one goal at a time.
Read MoreMelissa Huber’s Story
Melissa Huber’s breast cancer story begins with her son.
At just four and a half years old, James helped her face one of the most emotional moments of treatment: losing her hair. As Melissa sat in the salon chair, tears rolling down her face, her little boy looked at her and said words she still carries with her today.
“Mommy, you do not need hair to be beautiful.”
Diagnosed at 34, Melissa has faced breast cancer, treatment, recurrence, bone metastases, and liver lesions with honesty, grit, and deep love for the little boy who remains her reason why.
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.
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