My breast cancer journey began when I had the unexpected good fortune of a first baby relatively late in life, in my 40s.

One day, when my little ray of sunshine was about two, I was happily reading to her in my lap. She brushed my chest and I felt an odd pain. I decided to check it out and got a biopsy the next day. It was stage II breast cancer.

The bottom dropped out of my world. The following year was a blur of surgery, chemo, and radiation. I was in and out of the hospital. Friends and family pitched in to cook and clean and babysit.

After treatment, I struggled with lymphedema and PTSD. But gradually I got stronger. And stronger.

Fast forward to today. That little girl is almost ready for college, and fifteen years have gone by without my cancer returning.

Some might say that I’m lucky…but I’m very aware it’s not just luck. My successful treatment with Herceptin was the product of many years of medical research. And that research was made possible by women like you and like me who donated their tissue samples. The information the Heny project unlocks from our samples can help more people beat cancer and live to see their kids grow up.

We are all in this together. The Heny project is an important step toward maximizing research benefits for everybody. I urge you to join our community and learn more.