Roberta Lombardi and Infinite Strength
Roberta Lombardi wanted to do something for the Connecticut moms and kids with breast cancer, but that *something* quickly morphed into a nonprofit effort to help break through barriers in the lives of moms with MBC. Laser focused on single moms with kids under 19 living at home and financial need, Roberta took her nonprofit (she calls it her fourth child) nationwide in mid-2023 and is already serving women in 27 states. While providing 6 months of financial support to approved applicants remains the core of Infinite Strength, Roberta has added to the support through one-day local (Connecticut) mom-and-kid retreats, in-person and online panels with some of the best experts in cancer care, a 2024 MBC conference, and a groundbreaking effort to change the picture through the Connecticut Coalition of Oncologists. This is a woman who does not sit still and we are so lucky to have her as an ally for people living with MBC. This episode may inspire *you* to get out there and do something!
MBC Advocacy: Finding Purpose in Adversity
After a Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) diagnosis, patients and the people around them are often left reeling and looking around to figure out how to make some sort of meaning from the trauma. The guests and representatives from LBBC and METAvivor on this episode share how finding purpose in the midst of adversity has helped them to truly LIVE with MBC. Don’t forget to listen all the way to the end as guest producer, Abigail Johnston, has some specific calls to action to share!
Just Gotta SHARE - Trailblazer
After her TNBC early stage diagnosis our October Trailblazer, Tiah Tomlin, wanted to be a part of the solution. Hear how she did that with her non-profit organization which is “dedicated to providing a cancer educational program and hands-on supportive services to build confidence in people of all ages, leading to a better quality of life.”
Ricki Fairley and TOUCH, The Black Cancer Alliance
Ricki Fairley, founder of TOUCH, the Black Breast Cancer Alliance, shares her incredible story of how she upended and changed her life and ended her successful marketing career when she was diagnosed Stage 3A Triple Negative Breast Cancer . Ricki talks about the founding of her organization and her overall goal to address Black Breast Cancer as a unique and special disease state, with the overall goal of reducing the mortality rate for Black women.
Racial disparities in healthcare
In this episode, we speak with leading MBC advocates, Sheila McGlown and Chawnte Randall, and with the social media breast cancer leaders, Jasmine Souers and Marissa Thomas of For The Breast Of US about their own experiences and how they advocate for their own treatment and for those in their communities.