Meet the Models: Stefanie Ennis
Meet the Models: Stefanie’s Story – Reinvention, Realignment, and the Road Forward
When Stefanie received her breast cancer diagnosis, she wasn’t entirely surprised—yet nothing could have fully prepared her for how much it would change everything. At 40, attending her first mammogram, she was told they’d found a few calcifications. “No big deal,” the doctors said. But within days, “no big deal” had become a diagnosis: ER/PR-positive breast cancer with three tumors, lymph node involvement, and a full treatment plan that began with chemotherapy on October 1—the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“I was 0.001 millimeters away from a stage 3 diagnosis,” Stefanie recalls. “I went from thinking this was routine to suddenly facing chemo, radiation, multiple surgeries. It flipped my life upside down.”
At the time, she had just gotten remarried two months prior. What was supposed to be a honeymoon phase became something else entirely.
“It changed the trajectory of our entire relationship. We’re no longer married—but we’re best friends. He’s coming to the show, watching the dog while I travel. We still show up for each other, just in a different way now.”
Stefanie’s story is about more than surviving cancer—it’s about rebuilding and realigning every aspect of her life, on her own terms. From menopause at 41 to embracing a body that looks and feels different than the one she knew, every part of her identity was reshaped by her diagnosis. And yet, she emerged with clarity, connection, and a deeper purpose.
“I've always had a good network, but this experience showed me just how strong that network really is. Friends I hadn’t talked to in a decade were showing up—dropping off meals, picking up my daughter. I was reminded of what community really means.”
Now, Stefanie is committed to giving back. Whether it’s sitting with a friend’s mom during surgery, sharing tips with newly diagnosed patients, or just showing up with empathy—she sees her survivorship as a call to action.
“I didn’t choose this community, but I’m going to embrace it fully. I’m here for anyone who needs me. That’s how I pay it forward.”
Her introduction to Runway for Recovery was serendipitous—a moment at a Plymouth waterfront festival where she stumbled upon a booth and treated herself to a pair of sweatpants during early chemo. Years later, with her daughter preparing to leave for college and Stefanie preparing to leave New England, she knew it was time.
“This is where my whole cancer journey happened. It felt like the right time to put my name in for the show—before I move on to my next chapter.”
Stefanie will walk the runway this fall with her mother cheering from the front row, a symbolic full-circle moment that brings generations of strength together. And though she may be leaving New England soon, her impact here—and her connection to the Runway community—will remain strong.
“You don’t come out of breast cancer the same. But you come out wiser. Fiercer. You know how to show up for others. And you know how to celebrate yourself, every damn step of the way.”
