We Tell Your Story
Part of Runway's mission is to honor the legacies and stories of those who have been impacted by breast cancer. Our blog page is dedicated to helping us share those stories.
Learn more about the importance and impact of our blog by watching the following video.
It’s a testament to Amy Westland’s character that when asked about her breast cancer experience she launches into how her journey could serve others. For nearly five minutes she recalls all the people she has connected with after they have been diagnosed. Noting all those who stepped up during her treatment, she hopes to help others by decreasing their fear and increasing their knowledge around what questions to ask and how to be best prepared for treatment.
Brian Schultz was in his young twenties when his aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her passing at just 57 prompted his mother to get a mammogram, which led to an immediate diagnosis of breast cancer at 52. Brian himself had just graduated college and delayed his trip out west to begin his job to stay and support his mother through her single mastectomy and recovery. A successful surgery meant his mother was cancer free and “the next 15 years were pretty normal in the world of someone living with cancer- the will it come back? was certainly there- but she was otherwise healthy.”
Aidan Morris knew she would get breast cancer. Despite being BRCA negative, she had a strong feeling for years that she would be diagnosed, so much so that she was paying out of pocket for mammograms since the age of 27. Though she did have family history- her aunt’s diagnosis at 75 and mom around 60- Aidan’s proactivity was based off her strong inkling. Her relentlessness would pay off, when at age 34, a mammogram revealed breast cancer.
Three years ago Ada Pham was in her elementary school classroom when she got a call from her doctor telling her she had breast cancer. Looking back, she laughs at the date: Friday, September 13, 2019. After a cyst on her right side prompted a mammogram, stage 0 breast cancer was found. The early stage meant she had time to consider her treatment options, but she endured countless tests and screenings in the weeks after diagnosis. Living in Hawaii at the time, Ada had to face those weeks alone because her family resides in California: “I had to face a lot of it on my own, which was hard.”
Runway for Recovery’s growth to the west coast began out of Ricky Hsin’s desire to honor his sister, Rachael. In nearly all ways, Ricky and his sister grew up opposites and being the children of immigrant parents meant the two had to forge their path in America for themselves. Despite their differences, the two almost always found themselves converging on the same course, even attending the same high school and college. After Ricky married his wife, Melissa, and had their daughter, Lily, his sister remained an integral part of their lives- now expanding her role to being a super aunt.
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