My name is Tammy, and I’m living with stage four metastatic breast cancer.

This means the cancer has spread beyond my breast to another place in my body.  There is no cure for metastatic disease.

I started my cancer journey in late December of 2023. It began with pain in my leg. At first, it was manageable… easy to brush off. But the pain intensified, and the dates that followed are forever etched in my memory.

On January 22nd, I saw my primary doctor, who said, “Let’s get it X-rayed—and while you’re there, let’s also get a mammogram.”

On January 24th, I had both done. That night, I began hearing words like metastasis and biopsy. Words that, up until then, belonged to someone else’s story—not mine.

When my doctor called to confirm the news, I was sitting alone on my couch. And in that moment, hearing those words… it was the loneliest moment of my life.

Within a week, I was walking with a cane. I went from everyday routines to a whirlwind of appointments—biopsies, MRIs—and then, just two days later, I heard the words: stage four.  Right out of the gate.  It was terrifying.

In a matter of weeks, my life completely changed. I faced chemotherapy. I suffered a hip fracture caused by bone cancer. I underwent what my orthopedic surgeon called “a hip replacement on steroids.” I spent two weeks in rehab, learning how to walk again, followed by months of physical therapy.

I made the difficult decision to undergo a double mastectomy and a hysterectomy after learning I was BRCA2 positive. I endured 30 grueling rounds of radiation and reconstructive surgery.

It has been a whirlwind - physically, emotionally, spiritually. There have been moments of fear, moments of exhaustion, moments of deep uncertainty… and those moments don’t just go away. They come and go, often when you least expect them.

But through it all, I’ve discovered something powerful: I am not walking this journey alone.

Communities like this one, organizations like Susan G. Komen, and the unwavering support of family and friends have reminded me that even in the darkest moments, there is light.

I’ve seen it in the people who show up.  The ones who sit beside you. The ones who check in, pray for you, walk with you, and refuse to let you feel invisible.

Cancer may change your life but it also reveals the depth of love that surrounds you.

And that’s why this walk is so important. It’s about raising the funds and resources that help people like me, and so many others, get access to life-saving treatments, patient support, and the research that will one day bring a cure.

Every dollar raised through Susan G. Komen doesn’t just go into a statistic. It goes into the lives of real people.  People like me. Into the hands that need help. Into the science that gives us hope for tomorrow.

And I stand here today not just as someone living with cancer, but as someone living with purpose. Because if sharing my story helps even one person feel less alone, or helps move us one step closer to a cure, then this journey, every single part of it, matters.

So whether you’re donating in honor of someone, in memory of someone, or for yourself… thank you.  Thank you for showing up for this cause. And thank you for helping to ensure that no one has to walk their cancer journey alone.

As you give, remember this: we are bigger than this disease. We are stronger than the fear. And we are louder than the word “incurable.”

I may be living with cancer, but I am also living with hope, with love, and with purpose. And as long as we keep showing up for each other, for research, for the future, we are moving closer to a world where no one has to hear the words I heard.

Until that day comes, we keep walking. We keep fighting. And we keep believing.

Thank you.