PUBLISHED: 18th September 2026
As a biologist studying breast cancer in graduate school in the early 2000s, I suspected there was more to my family's cancer history than just coincidence. I knew about BRCA1 and BRCA2 and the potential implications of genetic testing, including the lack of protections against some forms of genetic discrimination. At the time, I chose not to be tested and instead began cancer screenings earlier than usual based on my family history.
Shortly after my father and his older sister died following battles with cancer in the early 2010s, my dad's younger sister called to tell me that she had tested positive for a BRCA2 mutation and that she was encouraging family members to get tested. I learned that I, along with several of my cousins, carry the same mutation.
As a previvor, I've experienced the emotional ups and downs that come with knowing I have an increased cancer risk. I have been fortunate to have access to excellent medical care, but even with those advantages, I found myself facing an overwhelming number of life-changing decisions. Without the benefit of talking with someone who had "been through it", I navigated so many cancer screenings, fertility preservation, risk-reducing surgeries, and breast reconstruction.
After coming across information pamphlets in my doctors’ offices and following FORCE on social media, I decided to attend an in-person FORCE conference in the summer of 2024. I met so many people just like me and learned so much at that meeting from nutrition to research advances. I left feeling informed, welcomed, and empowered and knowing that I wanted to give back.
Today, I volunteer with FORCE as both a Peer Navigator and a Patient Advocate Leader. As a Peer Navigator, I have the privilege of talking one-on-one with people facing many of the same decisions I once faced. I share my experience, help them think through their options, and connect them with resources so they can make the choices that are right for them.
As a Patient Advocate Leader, I use my lived experience to advocate at the State and Federal levels for policies that better protect and support people living with hereditary cancer risk. I am most proud to be working with my State Representative to advance a bill that aims to protect people in Massachusetts from genetic discrimination when applying for life and long-term disability insurance.
Volunteering with FORCE has shown me how powerful it is to know that you are not alone.