Kathleen’s Story

Meet the Models: Kathleen Keeley

Kathleen Keeley grew up surrounded by women affected by breast cancer. She fundraised for breast cancer causes, supported loved ones through their diagnoses, and deeply believed in the power of community and action. But she never imagined that one day, she would be the one sitting across from a surgeon, hearing the words that would forever change her life.

“I remember being moved into the ‘more comfortable’ room and immediately knowing I had cancer,” she recalls. “I saw my sister’s face when the surgeon told me I had invasive breast cancer, and I remember thinking, I can’t cry—she looks like she’s going to faint. I waited until I got home and sobbed with my cats.”

In 2012, that diagnosis launched Kathleen into 15 months of grueling treatment and multiple surgeries—a journey that, over a decade later, is still not complete. Throughout it all, she learned that strength doesn’t mean doing it alone. It means letting others show up for you, even when it’s hard to ask.

A Solo Fight, But Never Alone

Kathleen had a strong support system of family and friends: sisters, cousins, nieces, brothers, and a circle of close friends who helped drive her to doctor’s appointments, surgeries, and support groups. But living alone during treatment was an invisible weight she didn’t fully share at the time.

“If I could do one thing differently,” she reflects, “I would have told people how difficult it was to live alone during treatment.”

That honesty, she now knows, could have opened more doors for support. It’s one of the reasons she emphasizes to others how important it is to ask—not assume—how someone is doing, and what they truly need.

Finding Her Chosen Family

One of Kathleen’s greatest sources of strength came from women who had walked the road before her. Women who talked openly about their reconstruction choices, their treatment paths, and the emotional weight of survivorship. Her advice for others?

“A good support group, outside of your family and friends, is something I’m extremely grateful for having.”

Those women became more than peers—they became family. That sense of sisterhood extended to her connection with Runway for Recovery, a community where she found purpose and belonging.

“I feel like I have a whole other family now—and that family includes Runway.”

A Decade of Gratitude

As she reflects on her journey more than a decade later, Kathleen sees each year of survivorship as a personal celebration.

“I feel like every year that I’m a survivor is special. I celebrate those wins, and I hope and pray that many women and men will have those wins going forward as well.”

Through loss, resilience, community, and grace, Kathleen has become the kind of person she once looked to for inspiration. This year, she walks the runway not just in celebration of her own story, but for every survivor still fighting and every patient finding their footing.