Meet the Models: Amy Collette

Meet the Models: Amy’s Story – Still Living, Still Celebrating

Twelve years after her breast cancer diagnosis, Amy has a powerful perspective that only time and experience can provide. She lives with gratitude, boldness, and a deep appreciation for the small and sacred acts of support that carried her through the darkest days—and she’s walking this year to honor all of it.

Diagnosis: A Sudden Shift in Reality

Amy still remembers the moment the words “you have cancer” entered her life.

“Hearing that diagnosis is indescribable. It felt like the floor dropped out from under me. I was in a surreal, almost fake reality—asking myself, ‘Is this even real?’”

That moment changed everything. But instead of letting it define her, Amy chose to let it deepen her connection to the people she loved—and to the life she was determined to continue living.

The Power of Showing Up

“It wasn’t just one person or one thing that helped. It was a collection of conversations, warm hugs, late-night phone calls, and the steady current of love from my family and friends.”

Amy’s community showed up in ways big and small—and each gesture added up to something monumental.

“Sometimes it was the quiet presence of someone just being there. Sometimes it was someone telling me it was okay to go out without the wig or the hat. Those little nudges reminded me I was still me, even in the middle of the hard.”

Hair, Healing, and a Fresh Beginning

Of all the physical trials, losing her hair hit Amy the hardest.

“It felt like such a visible marker of what I was going through. But when my hair started growing back—soft and new—it felt like a metaphor for life starting again. A new beginning.”

That sense of renewal has stayed with her.

Living Fully in the Now

Now, twelve years cancer-free, Amy’s message is about life—not just survival.

“I wouldn’t change anything. The decisions I made and the path I took brought me here: still living, still celebrating.”

Her advice to others is simple, and essential:

• Reach out. Don’t carry the weight of diagnosis alone.

• Say yes to help.

• And above all—keep living.

“Do the things you love. Don’t wait. Do them even in the middle of the hard.”

What to Know

Amy’s biggest hope is that people treat those facing a diagnosis the way they always have.

“Don’t let the diagnosis change how you act or talk to someone. Keep doing the weird, fun things you’d normally do together. Don’t hesitate to reach out. That normalcy and connection? It’s everything.”

Why She Walks

Amy walks for herself, for the twelve years of resilience behind her—and for anyone still in the thick of it. She walks to remind us that life doesn’t stop with cancer. It shifts. It softens. It renews.

“I walk because I’m still here. Still living. Still celebrating.”