Beth was 32 years old, breastfeeding her youngest child – just seven months old – when she noticed a lump in her breast. Like many new moms, she assumed it was a blocked milk duct. She was healthy, active, and took good care of her body. Breast cancer wasn’t even on her radar.

“I always thought it was a seniors’ disease,” Beth says. “Something that happened to women in their 50s, 60s, or older. I never imagined it could happen to me.”

What changed everything was a doctor who took her concerns seriously. Instead of dismissing the lump, her physician was hands-on, proactive, and willing to advocate for diagnostic testing. That advocacy led to a breast cancer diagnosis – one that arrived suddenly and forcefully, during one of the busiest and most vulnerable times of her life.

Beth’s treatment was intensive. She underwent eight rounds of dose-dense chemotherapy, followed by a double mastectomy and 28 rounds of radiation. In between, she endured four failed reconstruction attempts. Eventually, Beth made the decision to go flat.

“It’s something a lot of people worry about,” she says. “Will not having breasts change how happy I am? How I see myself as a woman? Will I lose my femininity?”

For Beth, the answer was simple – and surprising. “It really didn’t matter. My life is just as good as it was before.”

Rather than fixating on the big picture, Beth focused on what was immediately in front of her. The next milestone. The next appointment. The next step forward. “It was a crappy time,” she says honestly, “but I didn’t let it take over my life.”

That mindset didn’t come easily. One of the hardest parts of her diagnosis was holding onto her identity. “It’s very easy to let breast cancer become everything,” she explains. “I had to wrap my head around the idea that yes, this sucks – but I’m not giving up all the good stuff that comes after.”

So she and her family found ways to embrace moments of joy. They laughed when they could. They celebrated small wins. They adapted. Two years later, Beth is cancer-free – and looking back with perspective.

Before her diagnosis, Beth’s only connection to breast cancer was her grandmother. She had no idea how complex treatment could be, how long it could last, or how deeply it could affect every part of life. Now, she’s keenly aware that breast cancer does not discriminate by age.

“When I started treatment, I was the youngest person in the room,” she says. “Now, that’s not really the case anymore.”

Beth wants younger people to be more conscious of their breast health – to understand that age does not make anyone immune. “The age doesn’t matter,” she says. “And it does seem like diagnoses are happening younger.”

That belief extends to her support for breast cancer research. Beth has seen firsthand how progress happens – and how quickly it can change lives.

“Research doesn’t move forward without funding,” she says. “Since my diagnosis, there have already been changes in treatments, screening guidelines, and diagnostic technology. If we’re supporting research today, it means that if one of our daughters is diagnosed in the future, there’s more information. Better options. Better outcomes.”

“If we’re not aiming for that,” she adds, “what’s the purpose?”

Breast Cancer Canada funds groundbreaking research across the country, supporting the advancements Beth is excited to see – the new treatments, the screening and diagnostic tools, all rooted in precision oncology. Be a part of the progress and donate to research today.