“Wishing thrivership, unity and community to all!” Remembering Dikla Benzeevi Dikla Benzeevi was a consummate connector, a fierce advocate and a staunch supporter of young adults living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). She passed away April 7, 2023. For 20 years she lived brilliantly, boldly and passionately with MBC. Dikla was diagnosed with MBC in 2002. Dikla’s engagement with Young Survival Coalition (YSC) started in 2003 after she attended her first annual Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer which was co-hosted by Living Beyond Breast Cancer and YSC. She attended solo ..read more

Wrap Up Celebration Email At the YSC Tour de Pink Memorial Ride Lisa J. Frank Memorial Ride this year, our celebration time got cut short by foul weather. We hunkered down, played a lot of cornhole, and made the best of a rainy situation. Now let’s celebrate all of the hard work this community put in! Total Amount Raised: $324,177 Thank you for your commitment to raising critical funds to support the young breast cancer community. We know asking your network to support you with donations is not easy. It takes guts and determination. Thanks to your dedication and generosity, the entire TDP comm ..read more

“How can I support you?” “What do you need?” “What can I do to help?” Are you on the receiving end of these questions but not so sure of how to answer them? Trust us, we understand. With the holidays fast approaching, these questions can come up a lot. Dealing with treatment is already difficult enough, so being asked “what you need” can feel overwhelming. With the help of the YSC community, we compiled a list of unique holiday gifts for people going through breast cancer treatment. Use this list to help you with ideas next time someone asks you how they can help. Better yet, go ahead and forw ..read more

Join Us for the 2022 YSC Tour de Pink Lisa J. Frank Memorial Ride By Cathy Johnson My name is Cathy Johnson. I am a 12-time rider of the YSC Tour de Pink Lisa J. Frank Memorial Ride (TdP). I am also a passionate, serious cyclist who has ridden in many amazing locations around the world. Even after riding in places such as Italy and France, I always come back to, and look forward to, TDP. I am unable to make it in person this year, but I am equally as excited to ride in the inaugural Virtual Ride. I am a wholehearted believer and supporter of the Young Survival Coalition (YSC), the premier orga ..read more

Just For Co-Survivors: When Breast Cancer Comes For The One You Love By Travis Lindley   At 28 years old, I stood there in a dark room, watching as my wife had her breast examined by an ultrasound technician. I saw the look on his face when he found what we all hoped didn’t exist. I’ll never forget his next words. “I’m technically not allowed to tell you this, it still needs to be read by a radiologist, but I will tell you, your life is about to change. It will be very hard, and you both need to prepare to receive some bad news. This is breast cancer.” I think most people would have been ..read more

On February 2, 2022, YSC CEO Jennifer Merschdorf was invited to represent the young breast cancer community for President Biden’s announcement that his Cancer Moonshot project would move into a new phase. Jennifer shares below what it was like as someone diagnosed at age 36 to finally hear a US president affirm that cancer patients must be at the center of any systemic change in how cancer is managed. To read more about Cancer Moonshot and what it means for young adults affected by breast cancer, read YSC Invited to White House for Historic Cancer Moonshot Announcement. __________   YSC ..read more

How I Handle Holidays After Breast Cancer By Jamelle Singleton   The holiday season is among us again! This time of year is filled with food, fun and family. But for young breast cancer survivors and co-survivors, the holidays can be quite different ,especially during a pandemic! I can’t help but to reflect on this time last year. I spent the whole holiday season going through treatment. On Thanksgiving,  I was recovering from my double mastectomy. Then I spent Christmas and New Years in daily radiation. Going through active treatment during the holidays was hard, especially as ..read more

Breast Cancer’s Best Kept Secret – How Understanding Your Risk of Lymphedema May Be the Key to Reducing it   “I had never heard of lymphedema until they told me I had it.” “My doctor told me I would either get it or I wouldn’t but not much else.” “They said I didn’t have to worry about it because I only had a sentinel node biopsy.” “I’m ok because I haven’t gotten it by now so I’m in the clear right?”       I’ve been working in oncology massage and manual lymphatic drainage for 9 years.  These are the things I’ve heard from people around the world who didn’t know they ..read more

Where Are We Now? The Latest on COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters and Extra Doses With the newest regulations on COVID-19 vaccine booster shots and additional doses for immunocompromised individuals, we wanted to follow up on the most important questions for breast cancer survivors, thrivers and their loved ones. The information provided currently pertains to eligible adults in the U.S. and does not take the place of advice from your medical provider. Always consult your healthcare team with questions specifically pertaining to your individual treatment and circumstances.   1. What is the differe ..read more

What a Young Breast Cancer Survivor Wants You to Know About Breast Cancer Awareness Month I was diagnosed with stage II invasive ductal carcinoma in December 2020 at age 33. After a bilateral mastectomy and 4 rounds of chemotherapy, I am now on hormone suppression for the next 5-10 years. I have a flat chest, short, awkward hair, and I’m in a medically-induced menopause in my 30s to try to prevent a cancer recurrence. I don’t have a lot of feeling in my chest where my breasts used to be (except for random phantom itching that is just plain trippy), I almost lost my fingernails to chemo (who kn ..read more