Runway Shows
Alison Flanagan’s Story
“I really never have been public about my breast cancer.”
After years of carrying her story quietly, Alison realized Runway might be what she needed to finally process, connect, and feel less alone.
“Maybe this is what I need,” she says. “Not a new job, not more surgeries, not all these other things. Maybe I need to find a community and connect that way.”
Read MoreVeronica Davis’s Story
Diagnosed during COVID, with one child in preschool and another in elementary school, Veronica moved through treatment with the help of doctors, friends, mothers’ groups, social workers, and a community that showed up with meals, rides, advice, and care.
“In many ways, it’s a triumph of everyone,” she says. “The fact that I’m here and I can celebrate it.”
Read MoreAthena Shearrion-Perkins’s Story
Athena is part of Runway for Recovery’s Family Grants Program, which provides direct support to families navigating the impact of breast cancer.
After losing her mother in March 2020, Athena received a Family Grant that covered tutoring, giving her the academic support and stability she needed during an unimaginable time.
Today, the transformation is remarkable.
“To see her now is unbelievable,” her father says. “Having someone believe in you and seeing that confidence build in her is unbelievable.”
Read MoreLaura Gradel’s Story
Laura has been through breast cancer treatment, pregnancy loss, questions about fertility, chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and eventually, two pregnancies after treatment.
For years, Laura was not always sure how much of that story she wanted to share.
Now, five years later, she is ready to tell the fuller version.
“I want to be able to just talk about it,” she says. “And not be protecting people from feeling sad or feeling overwhelmed.”
Read MoreJenny Clayton’s Story
After Jenny’s mother, Jean, passed away from breast cancer, Jenny and her sisters created a tradition to face their own family history together.
They called it Boobs and Baubles.
Each year, the sisters go for their mammograms together, supporting one another through the appointments before choosing a piece of jewelry to commemorate another year. What began as a way to make something frightening feel more celebratory has become one of the most meaningful traditions they share.
Read MoreNicole Niccoli’s Story
Breast Cancer has taken so much from Nicole’s family, but she is now choosing to move forward with purpose: living more fully, gathering knowledge for her daughters, and holding onto the hope that research today could help protect them tomorrow.
“Before, I wasn’t living,” she shared. “But now I am trying to truly live every day.”
Read MoreCaileigh Scott’s Story
Caileigh’s breast cancer diagnosis changed the trajectory of her life—but not in the ways people might expect.
In the middle of facing cancer, something became clear: she wanted to keep choosing art, movement, friendship, and the life she loved.
“You get one life,” she says. “Do what you love to do.”
A dancer, actor, writer, and former runway model, Caileigh says cancer reconnected her to creativity and pushed her to say yes to people and experiences she might have once hesitated over.
Read MoreBecky 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 MoreChristina Muratore’s Story
Christina Muratore’s Runway story has always been tied to her sister, Katie.
For years, Christina cheered from the audience as Katie danced across Runway stages. Then, after Christina’s own breast cancer diagnosis, Katie encouraged her to step into the light herself.
Now, Christina returns to the Runway stage in Katie’s memory — carrying her sister’s name, spirit, and legacy with her in every step.
Read MoreAkhiel Willis and Kacey Morin’s Story
Akhiel and Kacey are walking in memory of Cheryl, Akhiel’s mother.
Cheryl’s breast cancer diagnosis came after months of pain that did not feel normal. She had trouble walking, climbing stairs, and moving through daily life, yet Akhiel remembers feeling like answers came too slowly and the plan never felt clear enough.
“It felt like they weren’t taking her seriously, or as seriously,” Kacey says.
Cheryl’s story is a celebration of a fiery woman with fierce style, deep love for family, and unwavering faith in her son. But it is also a reminder of the unequal treatment too many patients face, especially Black women whose symptoms are too often dismissed or not taken seriously enough.
This October, Akhiel and Kacey walk to honor Cheryl’s life and to raise awareness about listening sooner, asking harder questions, and making sure every patient receives the care and urgency they deserve.
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