Outliving the Odds, Rewriting the Path: Tom Warren’s Story of Survivorship and Advocacy
Meet Tom Warren. Six years after a rare cancer diagnosis he was never expected to survive, Tom is redefining what it means to live with and beyond cancer; navigating lasting side effects, loss of identity, and a new path forward through advocacy ...
Faith, Family, and the Power of Saying Yes: Daria Ross on Turning Survivorship Into Action
Meet Daria Ross: Triple Negative Breast Cancer Survivor and Advocate whose work focuses on patient education, community-centered advocacy, and turning lived experience into policy change ...
Research Made Survival Possible: Brandon Hertzendorf on Turning Experience into Advocacy
Brandon Hertzendorf’s path to advocacy sits at the intersection of lived experience, research, and a deep belief that cancer care can and must be better. Born and raised in South Florida, Brandon describes his childhood as fairly typical. That changed during high school [...] ...
The Meaning We Make: Laurel Braitman’s Path from Co-Survivor to Advocate
Advocate Spotlight: Laurel Braitman Laurel Braitman has spent her life at the intersection of story, healing, and human connection. As a writer, teacher, and the Director of Writing and Storytelling at the Stanford School of Medicine, she helps medical students, clinicians, and future health leaders learn how to speak to ...
Janice Cowden: From Survivor to System Challenger
At Cancer Nation, we are powered by the voices of those who live with, through, and beyond cancer. We don’t speak on behalf of survivors—we amplify those who are already speaking. This month, we’re honored to feature Janice Cowden, a metastatic breast cancer (MBC) advocate whose work in research, policy, ...
From Counselor to Cancer Advocate: Arlene Kutoroff’s Journey of Strength, Intuition, and Impact
Meet Arlene Kutoroff. She’s a fiercely independent survivor and longtime volunteer advocate who channels her background in counseling into helping others navigate life after cancer ...
Gena Gurman: Bridging the Gap in Survivorship Care with Compassion, Creativity, and Cognitive Support
Meet Gena Gurman, OTDS. An occupational therapy doctoral student, Gena created a powerful new resource to help cancer survivors understand and manage cognitive changes after treatment ...
Two Diagnoses, One Mission: Tracy and Tim Steffek on Advocating for Survivors
Meet Tracy and Tim Steffek. After Tracy was diagnosed with breast cancer at 36—just four months postpartum—and then again with tongue cancer one year later, the couple turned their experience into action. Now, they advocate for parents with cancer, push for whole-person care, and fight to make survivorship support a ...
Kirby Lewis – A Relentless Voice for Male Breast Cancer and Survivorship
Meet Kirby Lewis. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and later facing metastatic recurrence, he became a passionate advocate, raising awareness that men can get breast cancer too and pushing for better survivorship care. Learn more about Kirby in our Advocate Spotlight ...
A Voice for Change: Rebecca Muñoz’s AYA Cancer Journey of Advocacy and Research
Meet Rebecca Muñoz. Diagnosed with breast cancer at 29, she turned her challenges into advocacy, founding Chemotherapy Cold Cappers and working tirelessly to improve care for AYA cancer patients. From testifying for biomarker legislation to mentoring future cancer researchers, Rebecca’s advocacy is creating lasting change. Learn more about Rebecca in ...
