July 19, 2025, I am hosting the DiepCFoundation Breast Symposium. Throughout my own personal journey through breast cancer and breast reconstruction, I learned mine is one of many unique stories of survivors and why this DiepCFoundation Symposium matters.
That is why this symposium matters to me. This is DiepCFoundation’s mission in action, providing an immersive experience where survivors, healthcare professionals, caregivers, and advocates come together to redefine the narrative around decision-making in breast surgery. The DiepCFoundation Breast Symposium reminds us of the power of education and resources and that every choice made for people affected by breast cancer deserves to be an informed choice having the power to transform lives.
Planning Begins with a Call to Action
A strong nonprofit foundation reflects the volunteer commitment from the board of directors. I have been attending national and international conferences since we opened our doors in the summer of 2016. It was my board of directors who nudged me a couple of years ago to have a local event in our Seattle community. I have been contemplating it since they asked.
A second call to action was from the Seattle Journey members themselves in November of 2024 at a small gathering in Bellevue. It was this call to action that was the impetus to get to work. I knew it was going to take help, work, and people showing up for me to guide me in a process I had never attempted before. It began with a chance meeting with Yuliya Hemerlein, a leadership executive in the Bellevue and Seattle community.
Why Community Connections Matter at the Symposium
Yulia and I sat in our favorite coffee shop on multiple occasions planning and chatting about my vision. She opened the door to the local community she knew who could help me plan the symposium. She made the connections professionally and expeditiously. I want to provide a space that feels educational and comfortable for attendees. The space for the Breast Symposium is Overlake PACCAR Educational auditorium. When I saw it for the first time I knew it was our venue.
It was important for me to have a catered breakfast and lunch since it would be an all-day event. Yulia introduced me to the dynamic Claire Sumadiwirya, the owner of the Bellden Café. Claire not only creates beautiful and healthy meal options, but she is also well versed in catering events. There was a bonus for me. Claire is a strong believer in giving back to her community. As Claire stated in a recent interview with the Bellevue Downtown Association, “I knew I wanted to build a business focused on giving back.” The synergy between us was there immediately.
Empowering Patients with Resources and Why This Symposium Matters
This educational event brings together speakers from across the United States who are well known leaders in breast cancer care. Understanding the process of breast cancer treatment and surgery is crucial for patients to make an informed decision. The generosity from the speakers who accepted this invitation are people that I will be forever grateful to.
If I were newly diagnosed, facing a mastectomy, and overwhelmed with medical decisions, I would want to attend this symposium to connect with others. Facing this complex Journey alone is daunting. The DiepCFoundation Breast Symposium is to bridge the gap between patients and experts, providing a space for community. It is intended and designed to provide clarity, support, and empowerment to make the decision that is right for you.
Medical Professionals Speakers at the Symposium
- Eileen Consorti, MD, MS – Medical Director and Breast Surgeon at Overlake Cancer Care
- Kevin Cheung, MD – Associate Professor at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
- Minas Chrysopoulo, MD, FACS – President, PRMA Plastic Surgery and President of Toliman Health and Founder of Breast Advocate® a breast cancer surgery app.
- Cindy Wei, MD – Plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Optum Plastic Surgery
- Tianyue Zhao, RDNCD – Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist Overlake Medical Center & Clinics
- Anton Fries, MD, Ph.D. – Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery UT Health, San Antonio and at PRMA Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- Anne Schiele, LMT, CLT, CPT, PT – Lymphedema Therapist at Unlocking the Body
Additional Speakers of Impact at the Breast Symposium
- Rob Pupelis, CEO – T-Stat by Spectros Flap Monitoring System
- Eric Eye – Medical Tattoo Artist, Alliance of Medical Tattooing
Challenging Convention Perspectives with the Voice of Caregivers and Patients
I take the lead and inspiration from my colleagues in the patient advocacy space, Marie Ennis O’Connor and Sue Robins. We sat down together for a virtual cross-continental chat about The Gift of Patient Advocate Wisdom on the DiepCJourney Podcast at the end of 2024. We attend too many conferences that do not include patient perspective and representation. I wanted to challenge that conventional perspective for the DiepCFoundation Breast Symposium.
My own surgeon, Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo has championed patient advocacy and often tells me it is patients who drive change in healthcare. It was important to me to have a patient speaker for each of the three panels on the agenda. I also the perspective from a caregiver. I believe they play such an integral role in recovery and care. It is with great pride that I present them here:
- Richard Coutee (Caregiver) – AWS Alliance Manager, Rapid Scale
- Kirstin Litz – Community Leader and Breast Cancer Survivor
- Abirami Iyer – Microsoft and Breast Cancer Survivor
- Susan Thayer Jones – Retired Teacher and Breast Cancer Survivor
- Nikki McCoy – Communications Professional and Breast Cancer Survivor
Why This Symposium Matters: The DiepCFoundation’s Mission in Action
At the DiepCFoundation Breast Cancer Symposium the focus shifts from merely addressing surgical interventions and breast cancer research to building a community where healthcare professionals and patients can come together in conversation to learn, connect, and share knowledge rewriting the story of empowerment in breast cancer care through educational resources. This has only been possible through the power of the community and the generosity of those who have made this dream a reality.
I am grateful to be sharing this opportunity because of those who answered my call and sat with me to plan this. Thank you!
What a wonderful opportunity to have all these experts together at the same time! I hope everyone takes advantage of it. It seems like there is something there for everyone. Thank you Terri!
Thank you Mary! We are so excited. Experts include the patients/survivors, and what we are most proud of adding to this symposium among the other distinguished speakers. Building a trust community of learning is so important to the mission of DiepCJourney Foundation. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you there!
~ Terri