Meet the Models: Jennifer Lawrence

Model Spotlight: Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence's story is a testament to the strength of love, family, and community in the face of overwhelming adversity. Diagnosed with breast cancer not once, but twice, Jennifer’s journey has been filled with resilience, raw honesty, and a relentless commitment to showing up for her daughter, Everest, and those she loves.

The First Diagnosis

At 32, Jennifer experienced a bloody discharge from her nipple—an early warning sign that led to a diagnosis of breast cancer. She underwent a lumpectomy and radiation, believing she had put cancer behind her. The treatment process, however, was not without trauma: she was treated dismissively by her initial doctor, who downplayed her concerns and offered patronizing responses at a time when she needed compassion. She remembers him dismissing her fears about losing her nipple—right before she lost it—and then flippantly commenting on her tennis shoes.

Despite this, Jennifer made it through treatment and spent the following years moving forward with her life. But she carried the emotional weight of fear—fear that influenced decisions around marriage and motherhood. It wasn’t until she met her husband, Derek, that she began to believe she could dream again.

Miracle and Motherhood

At 45, after a long road of infertility and heartbreak, Jennifer was shocked and overjoyed to discover she was pregnant with her daughter, Everest—her miracle baby. Everest brought immense joy and purpose, becoming Jennifer’s anchor and her reason to keep pushing forward through every trial.

A Second Battle

Just after her 50th birthday, Jennifer received the news no one ever wants to hear a second time. A bloody discharge from the nipple again led to testing, and this time, invasive cancer was found throughout both breasts. What she thought would be another lumpectomy turned into a double mastectomy, followed by grueling chemotherapy that left her violently ill and barely able to care for herself, much less her daughter.

Jennifer described walking around with a bucket to vomit in, as she experienced debilitating side effects from treatment. Her daughter Everest, just starting kindergarten at the time, watched her mother grow sicker and more fragile. Jennifer recalls the heartbreaking moment when Everest instinctively brought her a trash bucket and water after seeing her ill—compassionate and mature beyond her years, but carrying a weight no child should have to know.

A Family Illness

Jennifer deeply understands that breast cancer is a family disease. It has affected her husband, her daughter, and her close friends in profound ways. Her husband Derek, she says, is her rock—sleep-deprived, exhausted, and juggling multiple roles, yet endlessly supportive and emotionally present. He has carried her, their daughter, and the family through the darkest moments. Jennifer remembers him explaining her mastectomy scars to Everest in a way that turned pain into pride: “This scar means Mommy chose life. This one means Mommy chose you.”

A Community that Shows Up

Jennifer has been surrounded by remarkable friends, who drop everything and drove to be by her side when she finally told them about her diagnosis. “Friendship is not having to ask,” Jennifer says. She learned who would show up without needing an invitation, and those are the people she now keeps close.

The support of her daughter’s school, her friends, and her extended network has been vital. “I don’t know how people do this alone,” she reflects. It's this sense of communal care that drew her to Runway for Recovery—an organization that doesn't just celebrate survivorship, but supports families, too.

The Aftermath and the Truth

With 19 surgeries behind her, multiple complications from treatment, and continued health struggles, Jennifer is clear: breast cancer doesn’t end when treatment ends. “There are days where I just don’t want to be the story anymore,” she admits. “I miss the person I was.”

Despite the scars, the surgeries, and the unpredictability of each day, Jennifer lives with immense gratitude—for the days she feels well, for the moments with Everest, and for the friends who have carried her through. She hopes her story speaks to those in the midst of diagnosis, treatment, or the long road of survivorship: "You’re not alone, and the strength you need may come from places—and people—you never expected.”

Jennifer will walk in the Runway for Recovery show with her daughter by her side, embodying the exact mission that inspired the show’s founding: that families deserve to be celebrated, supported, and seen through the lens of hope.