I had just celebrated my 46th birthday and was fully immersed in life, busy with family, friends, and a career I enjoyed. For 17 years, I had worked as a respiratory therapist, guiding others through some of their most difficult moments. I never imagined that one day, I would be the one in need of help.

In February 2023, I was diagnosed with de novo stage IV metastatic breast cancer. It was a shock—especially because I’d been misdiagnosed at first. I went from believing everything was okay to hearing the words “stage four.” There’s no roadmap for that moment. Your world tilts. Everything changes.

I started treatment in May 2023, and by December, I heard the words “No Evidence of Active Disease.” NEAD. It felt like a miracle. It was a moment of quiet triumph. A spark of hope.

Since then, I’ve learned to live in the in-between. I stepped away from my job to focus on living life. I’ve laughed harder, cried more freely, and discovered a strength I never knew I had. Now, I spend my time advocating for breast cancer through a few nonprofits, using my voice and experience to support others facing this journey.

I’m walking in the SGK walk because my story is just one of so many. MBC doesn’t get enough attention, enough research, or enough voices fighting for change. I walk for those we’ve lost, for those in treatment, and for those who will one day hear the same words I did. I walk for hope. For more time. For a future where MBC doesn’t mean an expiration date, but a new beginning.