Ringing in the Sisterhood

It’s not the holiday season, but bells will be ringing and there will many reasons to celebrate… Two new, beautiful bells were recently installed at the new Breast & GYN Pavilion on the Woman’s Hospital campus….Read more

Ashley’s Cancer Navigator Story

Sue* and I met on November 11, 2015, shortly after she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She walked into my office with her bold, outspoken personality, but I could tell that deep down she was scared and extremely anxious. Externally, she was loud, funny and strong; inside, she was struggling to find strength and resolution.

In getting to know her, I learned Sue was a free spirit, a wanderer who lived life on a whim, a characteristic that has led her through a colorful past and a trait that would also leave her with few close friends and nearby family members. At the time of us meeting, she was overcoming pain and heartache, sorting through a difficult family situation and facing a cancer unlike any other. It didn’t take me long to figure out that I would become very involved in her journey… Read more

Ruth’s Breast Cancer Story

For many people, accessing healthcare services can be a stressful experience and for non-English speakers it can be even more daunting. But Ruth Portillo, who speaks only Spanish, says she never misses an opportunity to tell her family and friends that attending one of the Cancer Center’s free breast cancer screenings was a convenient, life-saving experience for her…Read more

Kelsey’s Ovarian Cancer Story

I am a two-time ovarian cancer survivor. While those words still feel new to me, they are the words that have shaped the last five years of my life.

In March of 2012 I was diagnosed with Stage 1C ovarian cancer at the age of 24. Shortly after, I began IV chemo treatments and by June 2012, I was in remission. I spent five years in remission before being diagnosed with a recurrence in May of 2017 that resulted in a full hysterectomy, tumor removal, and six full rounds of IV and IP chemo. Needless to say, I was devastated…Read more