Diagnosed with de novo, stage IV metastatic, lobular breast cancer in May 2014 at just 34 years old, my life changed overnight.

 

What began as months of unexplained fatigue and abdominal discomfort led to the discovery that my cancer had already spread throughout my reproductive organs. I was told there was no cure and was given a prognosis of two years. 

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Instead of allowing that prognosis to define, I transformed my fear and anger into purpose.

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A lifelong artist and entrepreneur, I had built a successful career in the tattoo industry, specializing in permanent cosmetics and areola restoration for breast cancer survivors. Even while undergoing chemotherapy, I continued helping women reclaim confidence after surgery, discovering that healing isn't only physical, it is emotional, creative, and deeply human.

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I searched for support and realized how little the public understood about metastatic breast cancer. I found community through young adult and metastatic patient groups, but I also found a calling very early on: to make sure people living with stage IV disease were no longer invisible.

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Since then, I have become one of the leading voices in metastatic breast cancer advocacy. I joined METAvivor in March of 2015 as Director of Outreach, served as Vice President from 2016 to 2017, and was elected President from 2017 through 2020, helping expand awareness, patient engagement, and research funding for metastatic disease.

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In 2021, along with my friend and patient advocate Rachel Burns, I co-founded Cancer Culture with one clear mission: to accelerate breakthroughs in metastatic breast cancer through research, bold storytelling, creative activism, and meaningful partnerships. Through initiatives like Body of Resistance, New York Fashion Week, patient retreats, and innovative fundraising campaigns, Cancer Culture is changing how people think about, and invest in, the future of metastatic breast cancer.

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Today, more than twelve years after my diagnosis, I  continue to advocate alongside researchers, clinicians, policymakers, industry leaders, and, most importantly, patients. I am a recent graduate of the National Breast Cancer Coalition's Project LEAD program, a member of both the National Breast Cancer Coalition and the Metastasis Research Society, and I have served as a patient panelist at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

 

My work has been featured in national media, scientific meetings, podcasts, and advocacy campaigns, where I am  known for challenging the status quo and insisting that patients have a seat at every table where decisions are made.

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I believe awareness alone has never been enough. My mission is ACTION, helping build a future where every person diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer has more time, more treatment options, and more hope, and where research moves as urgently as the disease itself demands.