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Learn more about our models and the members of our community that come together to impact local families.

 

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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.

Meet the Models: Rebecca Kitchen

By Caroline O'Donnell | September 9, 2022

Rebecca Kitchen was on her way to urgent care when she decided to stop home for a quick shower. While showering she noticed a lump in her breast. Not thinking much of it, she brought it up to the urgent care doctor just in case. He too believed it to be a cyst, or something minor given Rebecca’s young age of 30. To be safe he sent her for a mammogram and ultrasound, both of which came back inconclusive. Three biopsies later, Rebecca was diagnosed with stage three ductal carcinoma breast cancer. It came as a complete shock: “it was so far outside the realm of possibilities for me. I would never have even thought it was possible.” Indeed, Rebecca had no family history and later genetic testing would reveal she also had no precursors.

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Meet the Models: Cassandra (Cassy) Villalta

By Caroline O'Donnell | September 1, 2022

Cassy Villalta beams with positivity. One would never know the journey she has been on in the past decade. At just 35, with a 3 and 5 year old at home, Cassy was diagnosed with grade 3 ductal carcinoma. She would go on to have a lumpectomy, chemo, radiation and immunotherapy. It was grueling schedule, but Cassy remained upbeat throughout: “as long as it was fixable, I kept a smile on my face.” Her main priority was her children and ensuring their lives were uninterrupted by her diagnosis. She remains steadfast in her motivation to have her children’s memories of growing up not be tainted with images of her sick.

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Meet the Models: Ilene Fabisch

By Caroline O'Donnell | August 29, 2022

Ilene Fabisch was on her way to Disney World when she got the news she had breast cancer: “it completely blindsided me.” She had no family history, ate clean (mostly vegan) and even competed in triathlons. In fact, she had just completed one a month prior. Though she had never gotten regular mammograms, Ilene did feel a lump under her arm in the shower and felt compelled to go to the doctor.

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Meet the Models: Joelle Lieman

By Caroline O'Donnell | August 22, 2022

For years Joelle Lieman diagnosed women with lumps and bumps. As an OBGYN, she was familiar with the difficulty of handing out scary news. She never anticipated it would happen to her, but at 39 years old she found a lump in her breast. Her husband encouraged her to use her diagnosing experience to keep a cool head: “he said, ‘what would you tell your patients?’ to which I responded, ‘there is a low chance that at 39 it’s cancer.’”

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Meet the Models: LaWanda Woumnm

By Caroline O'Donnell | August 2, 2022

Lawanda’s electric energy is impossible to miss. Sit with her for sixty seconds and you feel enveloped in her warmth. It’s a feeling she is hoping to spread: “Although I continue to fight the fight, while on this journey, I want to inspire, I want to encourage, I want to motivate. Breast Cancer is what happened to me. It is not my identity. I remind myself every day I am on this journey- I am who God says I am. I am approved, I am accepted, I am valuable, I am a masterpiece AND I am a child of the Most High God!”

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