As many of you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Over the years, I’ve met many brave breast cancer survivors and fighters, largely through my involvement with Susan G. Komen and founding my high school’s Pink Ribbon Club. I’ve always been grateful for the passionate individuals dedicated to this cause, but never more so than now—because I am receiving breast cancer treatment myself.

In early May, I was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. For the past few months, I’ve been working with an amazing care team in San Diego and Detroit to undergo treatment. I wanted to share this news because awareness and early detection are absolutely crucial to surviving cancer- especially when a diagnosis such as mine comes as a surprise. At 32, I’m considered healthy by most standards with no family history of breast cancer or genetic markers that increase cancer risk. I’ve relied on research and my care team to help me understand my risks and treatment options. While the journey has been frightening at times, I’m relieved to share that I had a successful surgery in August and will begin radiation in the coming weeks.

Early cancer detection has given me the best chances of survival, and my care team is confident that I will have a low risk of recurrence. I’m incredibly thankful for advances in modern medicine and for advocates who continue to push for better resources for women’s healthcare. I’m also deeply grateful for the support I’ve received from my family, friends, and care team through this journey.