Each August that rolls around, I think of the day I received my official letter of designation from the IRS stating I was legit, a government approved 501c3 nonprofit organization. Those eight years have been filled with a variety of emotions, wins and losses as I celebrate eight years at DiepCFoundation.
The Losses During my Time as Founder of DiepCFoundation
The most profound losses I have experienced are the loss of friends from breast cancer. When I hear the news of friends doing poorly, of the disease taking hold and treatment options running out, it is a slow process of loss. The breast cancer community lost a fierce advocate this year, Jennifer Elliott. She, along with many of my colleagues and patient advocate friends completed project LEAD together in 2017. Our friend, Kirstin Litz, used to refer to Jenn as, “Jenn double N”! It was a beautiful day when Roberta Albany and I honored her at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium before her death in April of 2023.
Giants like Leigh Pate shattered the entire breast cancer world when we lost her. I interviewed her in early spring of 2022. I had no idea at the time how near her death was. That summer, I received word from another fellow advocate here in Washington, Diane Mapes, that Leigh had passed. My husband was recovering from COVID the day she was memorialized. I opted not to go to her celebration of life since I knew there would be many survivors there and some in treatment. I did not want to expose anyone. Leigh did so much for the lobular breast cancer community. Her legacy lives on in her work.
There are others, too many to mention. It is difficult to write about them now. My throat tightens typing these words. I know there will be more losses. It is inevitable in life but in the world of breast cancer, it seems we lose our friends in this community at accelerated speed. I honor and celebrate each of them.
The Wins As Founder of DiepCFoundation
Friends! I have gained so many friends over the years since opening DiepCFoundation. Many I have met in person. I spent hours, days, and months staying in touch with them during the pandemic ZOOM-ing away in meetings, webinars, virtual conferences, and sharing some light chat and fun.
Patients are the heart and core of the Foundation and always will be. It is delightful to be able to connect in person now. I felt lonely many days during the pandemic feeling the loss of those hugs, in person smiles, and being able to greet and meet patients in person to see what I could do to help them along their personal Journey through breast reconstruction.
Surgeons always felt like an unreachable profession to me before I opened DiepCFoundation. They are folks I only met on a medical basis for my own personal care. That changed quickly when I began attending medical conferences to listen, learn, and bring back information to my breast cancer community on the latest treatment and surgical techniques. The pedestal I had them on before opening DiepCFoundation now feels like a welcome seat at the table. I enjoy wonderful moments learning about their families, hobbies, and simply enjoying a good laugh and story about life.
Today I am Grateful for Eight Years at DiepCFoundation
The surgeons who contribute so much to the mission of the Foundation, the patients that are served by the Foundation, bring me a feeling of true gratitude. I do not take one day I put my foot on the ground for granted. These wins and losses have helped me reflect on that today as I write this blog. The disease of breast cancer has changed many of us, broken many of our hearts, but at the end of the day, through all the wins and losses, we are brought together in ways that we never expected. Today I am grateful for so much.