Runway Shows
Dan Straffords’s Story
Dan Strafford and his daughters are returning to the Runway stage in memory of Kim.
For Dan, returning to Runway is about his daughters. When he asked if they wanted to walk again, their faces lit up.
“It was something brought to us because of pain that brought them joy,” he says.
Read MoreSona Dalal’s Story
Sona Dalal was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, just six months after her brother passed away from chemotherapy-related complications.
At first, she kept her diagnosis private. She needed to move through treatment in a way that protected her peace and honored her boundaries.
“I wasn’t Sona with a diagnosis,” she says. “I was Sona, and I had a little extra to handle.”
For Sona, breast cancer changed many things, but it never changed who she was. Now, she uses her experience to help others feel less afraid, reminding them that a diagnosis may become part of your story, but it does not get to define your identity.
Read MoreShelley Murray’s Story
Shelley Murray was diagnosed with breast cancer six years ago. At first, she kept her diagnosis private.
But over time, she realized that sharing her story could become a way to help others feel less alone.
“What motivates me in life is giving back to people and adding value to their lives,” she says.
“After the first three years, I decided this is crazy. I need to go public with this,” Shelley says. “I know so many people, and I need to give back.”
Read MoreGiselle & AvaMarie Watkins’s Story
Gisele and Ava Marie Watkins are taking the Runway for Recovery stage in honor of their mother, Shadon Watkins.
When Shadon became part of the Runway for Recovery family, she was living with metastatic breast cancer. Through every treatment, hospitalization, and setback, her focus remained on her daughters and making sure they could still experience joy, confidence, and the simple parts of childhood.
“They are what keep me going,” Shadon shared.
In 2024, Gisele and Ava Marie danced beside their mother on the Runway stage. Last year, they returned to honor her memory. This year, they continue that tradition — celebrating the woman who showed them what courage, resilience, and unconditional love look like.
Read MoreLeah Chareonchump’s Story
Leah Chareonchump was diagnosed with breast cancer just two weeks after her 31st birthday.
She found the lump herself, but because she was young, her concerns were dismissed more than once. Still, she knew something was wrong.
“I was right,” she says, “which I didn’t want to be right.”
Years later, when worsening hip pain was also dismissed, Leah had to advocate for herself again. That persistence led to the discovery that her cancer had returned as innumerable bone metastases.
Leah’s story is a powerful reminder that young people know their bodies, too. Age should never be a reason for someone’s pain, fear, or intuition to be brushed aside.
Read MoreKaren Walsh’s Story
“The reason I sought you guys out was for community,” Karen says. “Community for my boys, for families.”
Now returning for Runway’s 20th anniversary, Karen is grateful to be part of a space where stories are allowed to change, where hard things can be named, and where no one has to feel alone in what they are carrying.
Read MoreEmily Knight’s Story
Emily Knight was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2022, just before her 40th birthday.
Now living with metastatic breast cancer, Emily continues treatment indefinitely and is currently doing well, with clear scans since radiation and treatment to the affected area.
Through it all, Emily has found that community matters most.
“The community is the most important thing,” Emily says.
Read MoreSarah Hickey’s Story
Sarah Hickey dreams of being there for her daughter’s wedding.
For a long time, she imagined that certain future milestones such as this would define the fullness of her life.
But she is also learning to see that fullness in the present: dropping her daughter off at kindergarten, tucking her in at night, and sharing the small, ordinary moments that now feel anything but ordinary.
“I’m measuring the success of my life in those little moments,” Sarah says.
She still wants the big moments. But she no longer believes they are the only proof of a life well lived.
Read MoreAsha Miller’s Story
For Asha, learning to show her body as it is has become part of her survivorship.
After completing breast cancer treatment, Asha was diagnosed with vitiligo, bringing yet another layer of physical change to a body that had already been through so much.
At this year’s New York Runway Show, she made the intentional decision not to cover it.
In doing so, Asha is teaching us what it means to show up exactly as we are.
Read MorePamela Soto’s Story
Pamela was only 12 years old when her mother was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. Two years later, Pamela lost her.
When Pamela had daughters of her own, she made a choice that would change the course of her own story: she got genetic testing.
The test came back positive for the BRCA gene mutation, and Pamela began early screenings. Years later, those screenings helped catch her own triple negative breast cancer at stage one.
“The choice that I made to get tested for the gene and having all the screenings early allowed them to catch it early,” Pamela says, “and give me a chance to still be here enjoying my daughters.”
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