breast reconstruction awareness bravewomen. · 2020. 9. 10. · breast reconstruction awareness...

“Without Missing a Beat” – SUE PILON At age 52, Sue was diagnosed with breast cancer, the third generation of her family to battle the disease. Her maternal grandmother died of the disease but her mother, now deceased, was a 25-year survivor. It was her mother’s experience as a breast cancer survivor that greatly affected Sue’s attitude towards her diagnosis.

“When it was my turn to face this disease, I was determined to not just beat it. I wanted my life back completely. Breast reconstruction was not offered to my Mom and her quality of life wasn’t the same after cancer,” Pilon said. “Given all the advances in breast cancer treatment and reconstruction options in the years since, I was certain there was a path available that would get rid of the cancer and yet allow me to get back to the way I looked and felt before the surgery.”

The University of Michigan Breast Cancer Center and Plastic Surgery Department provided the answer. Since Sue’s cancer was discovered very early, and her overall health was very good, she was a candidate for reconstructive surgery using dermal skin grafts. Her mastectomy and reconstruction all occurred on the same day and she left the hospital 24 hours later, cancer-free and not requiring any additional reconstruction.

“This is a tremendous gift I’ve been given. I am extremely aware and appreciative of the fact that a family, at the worst possible time, was asked if they were willing to make a gift of organs and tissue from their loved one, so that other people – strangers – might have a great quality of life after breast cancer without missing a beat. I thank my donor family in my heart every day,” said Pilon.

You can view Sue’s story on our YouTube Channel – TheMTF1.

BREAST RECONSTRUCTION AWARENESS

REGISTER TO BE A DONOR AT

donatelife.netRead more recipient stories on

www.mtfbiologics.org/stories

“ This is a tremendous gift I’ve been given. I am

appreciative of the fact that a family was willing

to make a gift of organs and tissue so that I might

have a great quality of life after breast cancer

without missing a beat. ” –Sue BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR & RECIPIENT OF SKIN GRAFTS

BRA BRAveWomen. STORIES OF HOPEHOPE.






“Grateful for the Gift” –MARY It was an ordinary Friday afternoon when Mary, an energetic teacher in Houston, was wrapping up her workday. She straightened her room, erased the whiteboards, and then checked her email. To her surprise, she saw a stunning message from her physician: “The results from your biopsy are back and we are 80% sure that it is cancer,” it read. The news was devastating. “What does this mean?”... “Are you sure this is my diagnosis?” she wondered. She spent the weekend in turmoil, thinking about what she had just read but unable to ask questions about her condition. None of this made sense. “I run marathons and practice yoga. I’m a vegan and eat a gluten-free diet. It couldn’t me,” she thought. Mary had always been a picture of health. In fact, cancer had never visited her family tree. Her life had been consumed with teaching students by day and by night. After years of saving, she was finally able to buy a cozy vacation home in the French countryside. How could cancer be touching her life, her body, especially now?

The news became more devastating. Mary had triple negative breast cancer - the most aggressive type of breast cancer - affecting mostly young, pre-menopausal minority women. Traditional treatments for this type of breast cancer are not usually effective. After visiting with an oncologist, Mary immediately began chemotherapy and subsequently chose to have bilateral mastectomy to avoid the possibility of cancer affecting the other breast. A few months later, she scheduled breast reconstruction surgery and decided to use donated skin grafts for the procedure. Mary had learned from a cousin that using donated tissue grafts was an option for breast reconstruction and she was pleased with her surgical results.

Gratitude is a word that comes to mind often to Mary. She is grateful for her new perspective on life, family, friends, and her donor gift that enabled Mary to feel whole again. “I’ve always been a registered donor but now I feel honored to be on the receiving end of this cycle of giving. This experience has awakened me to a whole new level of gratitude for the generosity of such as gift,” she remarked. Today Mary enjoys running again, spending time at her vacation home, and speaking to small groups about her cancer journey.

You can view Mary’s story on our YouTube Channel – TheMTF1.

“ Cancer knocks you off your feet. Today I am standing tall, after breast reconstruction surgery, all because of the generosity of strangers and the gift of skin donation. ”

–Mary BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR & RECIPIENT OF SKIN GRAFTS



“Finding Her Voice” – SUSAN QUIROGA For Sue, the topic of tissue donation was a labor of love. She spent 6 years, working behind the scenes, helping to serve the needs of donor families and transplant recipients at the NJ Sharing Network. One of the greatest benefits of her work was hearing the many heartfelt stories of hope and healing made possible through transplantation. She never imagined that one day, she too would have a personal story of her own to tell.

Two years ago, Sue’s life was turned upside down. She was juggling life as a busy mother of four, working full time, and caring for her elderly mother. Just when life seemed busiest, she heard those chilling words: “You have breast cancer.” Sue’s world came to a screeching halt. She recalls thinking, “I need to protect my kids and not have them worry about me. I want my husband to know that everything is going to be okay, and I needed to shield my mom from what I was going through.” In reality, Sue was even unsure how all of this would end.

Following her surgical consultation, a bilateral mastectomy was her only option. When she heard her physician ask, “What size would you like to be?” Sue realized she did have choices and sensed that everything would be okay. Sue’s plastic surgeon told her that donated dermal tissue would be used for her reconstruction surgery. “I was overcome by gratitude and humbled when I realized what was happening to me. I was going to be a tissue recipient,” exclaimed Sue.

Two months after her breast reconstruction surgery, Sue was asked to speak about her experience. “I didn’t hesitate, even though I had never done public speaking before,” Sue said. “I was so humbled by the generosity passed on to me by my donor families, I was willing to stretch myself a bit and make the gifts count even more. My donors’ gifts gave me strength.” Sue had found her own voice and now has her own story. Through the precious gift of life, Sue has reclaimed precious time with her family and is on a personal mission to educate others about donation and transplantation.




“ Skin donation has allowed me to heal after breast reconstruction surgery. My journey has made me stronger and I am grateful to be able to confidently stand in front of large audiences and give hope to others. ” –Susan

BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR & RECIPIENT OF SKIN GRAFTS






“I Will Survive” – LAURIE DECLARALaurie was only forty when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. Her journey mirrored her mother’s, having also been diagnosed at a young age. After learning that Laurie’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer a 2nd time, Laurie’s friends urged her to schedule a follow-up mammogram. Although it had been 10 years since she had first been diagnosed with and treated for cancer, as soon as Laurie saw her radiographic image, she knew the news would not be good. This time, the type of cancer was different. It was more invasive and would require a mastectomy. Fearing the recurrence of a 3rd round of cancer in the other breast, a 50% risk according to her oncologist, Laurie opted for a bilateral mastectomy. “As a wife and mother of four active boys, I need to be here for my family. I needed to survive,” she said.

Deciding to undergo the mastectomy was the easy part for Laurie. She was not, however, prepared for the emotions that would follow. Laurie’s considering a bilateral mastectomy raised questions like: “What will I look like? Will I still feel feminine? Would a mastectomy be noticeable in clothing?” These were some of the many questions that flooded Laurie’s mind. Her plastic surgeon immediately put Laurie at ease with the reassurance that after a single surgery, she will not only have the cancer removed but will also have new breasts in place that will give her the confidence to feel as feminine as she always has. A couple of weeks after her surgery, Laurie was self-assured once again. She was pleased with both her outcome and her decision.

Laurie was pleased to learn that donated skin grafts used with her breast reconstruction surgery. As a healthcare professional, Laurie was elated to find that donated tissue could be used to help so many people in so many ways. She later discovered that her donor was a woman - possibly a mother, daughter, aunt, or sister. She was so moved by the generosity of her donor’s gift, that she was compelled to express her gratitude to her donor’s family. “Thank you for giving me such an amazing gift. You have given me back to my family. You have made it possible for me to live out my life. I want to honor your loved one’s memory with strength and grace.”

“ I am humbled and grateful that tissue donation gave me the first steps in healing and recovery after breast reconstruction. It has allowed me to live out my life again, to feel feminine once more. ”

–Laurie BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR & RECIPIENT OF SKIN GRAFTS






“Climb of a Lifetime” – STERLYNN CLENDENIN For Sterlynn, a 30-year-old who loves hiking and other outdoor activities, moving to Colorado was a dream come true. This was the perfect place to combine her work as a philanthropic event planner with her love of outdoor activities like camping, tennis, and running. Unfortunately, five months after she moved, she received a devastating diagnosis. She had breast cancer. Although both her mother and grandmother had been struck with the disease, the diagnosis was still shocking for a vibrant young woman like Sterlynn.

Hundreds of miles from her friends and family on the east coast, Sterlynn found herself facing the biggest uphill battle of her life. Nevertheless, she courageously forged on. Completing 6 rounds of chemo, Sterlynn chose to have both breasts removed. In a single surgery, the cancer was taken out and each breast was successfully reconstructed using donated dermal tissue. As difficult as it was to deal with the loss of her native breasts and adjust to the new ones, Sterlynn was thrilled with the results of her breast reconstruction.

When Sterlynn learned that donated skin was used in her surgery, this tugged at her heartstrings. “My work with philanthropy relies on the generosity of people to give so that others can get the help they need. Now, I am experiencing generosity of a different kind—generosity in a deep and personal way,” remarked Sterlynn. As one of the 3.1-million breast cancer survivors in the United States, Sterlynn feels blessed to have received the precious gift of life. Through tissue donation, she proudly reclaimed her life with a renewed sense of vigor.

“ My work with philanthropy relies on the generosity of others to provide help to those in need. Today, someone’s gift of skin donation is allowing me to rebuild my life again. ”

–Sterlynn BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR & RECIPIENT OF SKIN GRAFTS






“A Survivor” – DEBBIE TORREYA positive outlook on life and work in health care has prepared Debbie for many setbacks she has experienced. As a second time survivor of breast cancer, she did not hesitate to move forward when told about options for breast reconstruction using donated dermal tissue following her mastectomy.

Pleased with her outcome following surgery, Debbie is grateful for the gift that has allowed her to feel secure, special and alive again. She is a survivor. Debbie continues her journey by journaling about her experiences, gardening, and spending quality time with her grandchildren.

“You and your family member will remain in my thoughts with appreciation, generosity, and kindness,” wrote Debbie in a note to her donor family.

“ Skin donation gave me the gift that has

allowed me to feel secure, special and

alive again following recovery from breast

reconstruction surgery. ”

– -Debbie BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR & RECIPIENT OF SKIN GRAFTS






“Knowledge Is Power” – LESLEY GELLERLesley is a motivational speaker, life/business coach, and an optimistic fitness fanatic. As a mother of two young men, she found herself unprepared for the life-threatening storm brewing. “My mother died of pancreatic cancer,” Lesley recalls. “She also had the BRCA gene mutation.” Since offspring of carriers have a 50% chance of inheriting the mutation, Lesley was tested at the urging of her family. The results confirmed that Lesley was a carrier. She was now at increased risk of becoming part of the 1 in 8 U.S. women who will develop breast cancer in their lifetimes. Armed with this knowledge, what would she do?

As a precaution against ovarian cancer, Lesley immediately had her ovaries removed. Doing so lowered her risk of ovarian cancer from 40% to 0% and lowered her risk of breast cancer from 85% to 40%. Initially, she was adamant, however, that she would not have a double mastectomy. But she recalled her 23-year old son saying: “Mom, that’s still almost a 50% chance of getting the disease.” Lesley knew that at all costs, she had to avoid the risk of later having to look into her oldest son’s eyes having to tell him that she had gotten a cancer that could have been avoided with the mastectomy. Simultaneously, her sister decided to undergo the preventive procedure. She did this as a preventive measure despite a history of normal mammograms. After surgery, however, tests revealed precancerous cells in the removed breasts. Terrified, Leslie immediately called her own doctor and said: “We need to schedule the double mastectomy. I’m not going to go sit and wait for it [cancer] to get me!”

After a very difficult surgery, Lesley prepared to return to work a week later. She learned that the tissue graft used in her reconstructive surgery came from a donor. “I was so touched. I had never even heard about tissue donors. I was just kind of astounded and really touched that someone would go out of their way to be a donor and never even know its possibility”. A tempest of emotions left Lesley sobbing. “With an 85% risk of developing breast cancer, I lived in fear of my future. Yet due to the generosity of a skin donor and preventative breast reconstructive surgery, I am now empowered by what the future holds,” Lesley proudly exclaims.

“ With an 85% risk of developing breast cancer, I lived in fear of my future. Yet due to the generosity of a skin donor and preventative breast reconstructive surgery, I am now empowered by what the future holds. ”

–Lesley LIFE COACH



Surfing the Tsunami Imagine being CEO of a fashion company when a monster wave threatens your life. Naheima, both a proud mother of three children and an avid surfer, experienced just that. While catching waves in Singapore, she had a terrible surfing accident. Naheima hit the ocean floor and was bruised badly from her neck to her knees. During her treatment, the doctors discovered a tumor growing in the back of her breast. Naheima was diagnosed with breast cancer on her daughter’s birthday. The devastating news hit her like a tsunami.

As part of her healing journey, Naheima received 5 months of chemotherapy. During her second round of treatments, she also received immunotherapy. In time, Naheima underwent a mastectomy. During the breast reconstruction procedure, her surgeon used donated human skin grafts. A common concern for women undergoing treatment is how natural they will look and feel afterwards. Naheima’s response was simple: “I love them, and I couldn’t be happier with the results.”

Naheima has become more comfortable talking about her experience. She has reached out to her community and connected with others who had been through similar experiences. She realized the impact that donation had on her life and wrote to her donor family. “I definitely will be living my life more fully and will try to care for myself a little bit more.”

Upon reflection, Naheima says “I think I’ve always been an extremely positive person and thought life was precious, but this definitely added a different layer of perspective. And to be honest, there is not a day that goes by where I don’t think about the gift that I was given. It sits on my heart. How could I not think about the person that gave their life, you know?”

Naheima is grateful for the gift of life and looks forward to catching the perfect wave again soon.




“ Tissue donation gave me a chance at living life

fully again. My donor’s skin now sits right above

my heart and will be remembered forever. ”

–Naheima BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR, SKIN GRAFT RECIPIENT



Donated Tissue Helps Mother Continue Fight –TRACEY WARREN-HEINAt 43 years young, Tracey Warren-Hein was a busy, active mother of 2 young boys. Her days were filled with her family, and enjoying an active outdoor life, which included pleasure and competitive horseback riding. Always conscience of her health, Tracey had a routine mammogram in May of 2017, and the results were negative for any kind of growth or lump, however in August she felt something. And she knew it just wasn’t right.

Tracey had Stage 3 Triple negative breast cancer. By September she underwent a mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Tracey did her best to keep all their family routines the same, focusing on her life, rather than her illness. In June, 2018 after chemotherapy and radiation were finished, she underwent breast reconstruction surgery. It wasn’t until after the surgery that she learned that her surgeon used donor skin with her procedure.

“I had no idea skin was even something people could donate.” she said.

Full of gratitude, Tracey wrote to her donor family, and included these words “The donated tissue has allowed me to heal enough to continue my cancer battle,” she wrote “I have two beautiful smart sons who mean the world to me. I am determined to beat cancer. Your family member will remain in my thoughts for their kindness and generosity.”




“ Donated tissue has allowed me to heal enough to continue my cancer battle. I have two beautiful smart sons who mean the world to me. I am determined to beat cancer. ”

–Tracey BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR & RECIPIENT OF SKIN GRAFTS



The Gift of Donation Turns Personal –REGINA HARRIS Regina Harris had spent her career working as a nurse and helping to set up healthcare facilities at US Military installations around the globe. Among her many roles, an area of great pride was training staff on the importance of organ and tissue donation, and offering families whose loved ones would not survive about their options for donation.

Little did she envision that she would be on the receiving end of those difficult conversations, as a recipient of donated skin.

As retirement loomed on the horizon, Regina and her husband made the choice to settle in Arizona on the outskirts of Phoenix.

Just as they were settling into their new life in the desert, Regina went in for a routine mammogram, and was asked to return for an MRI due to some suspicious looking tissue in her breast. As a healthcare provider, she asked to look at her own films, and was horrified at what she saw. The suspicious shadows looked like a large piece of gauze were thinly folded inside the layers of breast tissue. Biopsy results were positive. Less than a month later, she underwent a double mastectomy.

Regina feels very fortunate to have the option of having her post mastectomy breast reconstruction at the same time as the mastectomy. Donated skin helped her heal, and be able to resume her work within 8 weeks of her surgery.

“I’m proud of the role I played in organ and tissue donation during my career, and I am so grateful for the tissue donation” said Regina, “I really look forward to the opportunity to give back by sharing my story, hopefully inspiring others to appreciate the value of donation”.




“ I’m proud of the role I played in organ and tissue donation during my career, and I am so grateful for the tissue donation that is helping me with my recovery following breast cancer surgery. ”

–Regina BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR & RECIPIENT OF SKIN GRAFTS



Learning to Live Her Best Life –KELLY GILBERTKelly is an instructional specialist that loves being in the classroom and making a difference in the lives of children. Happily married with a four-year-old daughter, she enjoys reading, outdoor sports, and spending time with her friends. About once a month, Kelly meets up with friends she met when she started teaching 15 years ago. During those times, she enjoys catching up over coffee and sharing play dates with the other mothers. Over time, however, she began to sense that something was wrong.

Kelly felt a small pea-sized lump in her upper left breast. Knowing that breast cancer ran in her family, her husband encouraged her to get it checked out. Her doctor suggested she get a mammogram, which was soon followed up with an ultrasound and a biopsy. A few days later, on a Friday afternoon, she got a call from her radiologist. Her test results were not good, but another radiologist would review the results with her on Monday. After an agonizing weekend of waiting anxiously, Kelly learned that she had a very aggressive form of cancer called triple negative breast cancer. Further testing also revealed that she had the BRCA gene.

Armed with that knowledge, Kelly decided to undergo a bilateral mastectomy. During her breast reconstruction procedure, donor tissue was used. Kelly was already a registered organ donor, and her experience with donation only strengthened her feelings. “It was really difficult to think about what that family had to go through, but knowing that it really helped you,” Kelly says. “It’s a selfless act that takes a lot of courage to step up and do.”

“The tissue transplant has allowed me the opportunity to heal psychologically and emotionally. I am able to feel whole as a woman and heal through this journey. The confidence due to my reconstructed breasts will ensure that I am able to watch my daughter grow up and make a lifetime of memories with her and my husband.”

Now, Kelly jumps at the opportunity to live her life to the fullest. Just this year, she and her close friends made a point to go on vacation together. “While I was working and being a mom to a young child, I had put a lot of things on the backburner. Even simple things like going to a concert or going out and doing different things that I used to do all the time. Now I jump to say yes to things I want to do instead of making excuses for why I can’t.”




“ The tissue transplant has allowed me the opportunity to heal psychologically and emotionally. I am able to feel whole as a woman and heal through this journey. I am able to watch my daughter grow up and make a lifetime of memories with her and my husband. ” –Kelly

BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR & RECIPIENT OF SKIN GRAFTS



Resilience: Surviving Breast Cancer –DENISE CANTRELLDenise is a musician with a passion for living a vibrant life. She loves writing music and also practices yoga—one of her favorite hobbies. To her dismay, Denise was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017. The diagnosis was particularly jarring because only a year earlier, her mammogram test was negative. “I started experiencing pain under my armpit. I didn’t think much of it at first, but then the pain was persistent,” Denise recalls. The shocking news came as she was departing on a long-anticipated trip to Paris with her husband. Denise was urged to repeat her mammogram as soon as possible. The biopsy confirmed her worst fear—Denise had stage 2A breast cancer. Days later, she underwent a total bilateral, skin-saving mastectomy.

Denise made a slow but steady recovery. Six weeks after her surgery, she was able to begin yoga again. Shortly after that, however, Denise experienced complications, so a second surgery was needed. Following surgery using donated skin grafts, Denise recovered well from the surgery and is back to enjoying life.

Denise and her husband are passionate about organ and tissue donation and are both registered donors. “I really didn’t realize that you could donate something other than the major organs and corneas. That’s what you hear about in the media. Donated tissue helps so many people, like myself, with surgeries every single day.” Denise and her husband look forward to one day touching other’s lives with the generous gift of donation.




“ Donated tissue from a stranger is helping me

to heal again after my mastectomy. ”

–Denise BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR & RECIPIENT OF SKIN GRAFTS



Having Faith to Reconstruct Life After Loss –BOBBIE WHITEBobbie was embracing her graduate studies in psychology when she learned that she had breast cancer. “I didn’t sign up for this but here I am, among the group of millions of women plagued by this disease,” she remembers. She was single and spent a lifetime working and caring for children with special needs, especially those with diabetes like herself, helping them to cope with their condition. Her faith and training had taught her how to deal with these tough situations and Bobbie was ready to give this her best fight.

Three months after her diagnosis, Bobbie had a lumpectomy which was followed by double mastectomy after the cancer began spreading to her lymph nodes. In a single surgery, the cancer was removed and both breasts were reconstructed. Her recovery was swift and Bobbi was soon enjoying days of fun in the snow with reconstruction results that were better than she expected.

Following her surgery, Bobbie learned that donated skin was used with her breast reconstruction. “Someone died to help me heal again. What a gift!” remarked Bobbie as she was overcome by gratitude by the kindness of the donor family who made this possible. Bobbie later learned that even with a diagnosis of cancer and diabetes, you can donate corneas to give sight to others. Today, she honors her donor family by becoming a registered donor and lives each day in gratitude for the gift that has been given to her.




“ Someone died and donated tissue that helped

me heal again. What a gift! ”

–Bobbie BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR & RECIPIENT OF SKIN GRAFTS

breast reconstruction awareness bravewomen. · 2020. 9. 10. · breast reconstruction awareness...

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