Almost exactly ten years ago, I was thrown into a fight I never saw coming: inflammatory breast cancer — a rare, aggressive disease that often strikes young adults and is frequently missed until it’s too late.

I spent more than three years being ushered to oncology appointments, chemotherapy infusions, radiation treatment and surgery after surgery. I lived like a zombie, with no choice but to let life happen around me while my friends were having babies, traveling, and advancing their careers. Just as I started to take a breath, COVID hit — and took even more from all of us. Now, somehow, I find myself on the cusp of 45. Still here. Still alive.

Truth be told, the odds weren’t in my favor. By the time I got to Dana-Farber for a second opinion, I was one step away from metastasis — a shift that would’ve dropped my five-year survival odds from 54% to just 19%. Even now, I ask myself, Is that real? Did I make that up? And if it is real… how am I still here? In my least compassionate moments, I hear another voice: Why haven’t you moved on? Why aren’t you making the most of every single day?

Cancer didn’t just attack my body — it took over my mind. It left me living in fear. Fear of recurrence. Fear of losing people I love. Fear of squandering this second chance.

That’s why I’m stepping into the ring with Haymakers for Hope — to fight back. Not just against cancer, but against everything it left behind: the anxiety, the grief, the paralysis. I’m training for four months, learning how to punch, bob, weave, and get hit in the face(literally) in order to fundraise for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Without their extraordinary care, wraparound support, and commitment to research, I wouldn’t be here. Because the truth is, cancer affects everyone — whether it's you, a loved one, a friend, or a colleague.

For me, this isn’t just a boxing match. It’s a statement: I survived. I’m not floating through life anymore. I’m stinging (like a bee — if you will.) Because I can. Because I have to. Because I owe it to myself. I owe it to the people I’ve met along the way — the ones who made it, the ones who didn’t, and the many still fighting. No one should have to go through this — and even if I can’t prevent it, I can damn well be the one who gets punched trying.

Please consider donating. Every dollar supports life-saving research and compassionate care at Dana-Farber. Your support means the world — not just to me, but to so many who are quite literally fighting every day to live.

Thank you for being in my corner and for helping me celebrate 10 years cancer-free.