Survivor Stories
Survivor Stories
Click on their pictures to hear their stories.
Ann Fonfa - In Memoriam
Ann Fonfa was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 1993. She was suffering from extreme Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, a still not recognized illness. She avoided chemotherapy, hormonal and radiation treatments using surgery and natural strategies to survive. Told she was stage IV in 1997, Ann added personalized Chinese herbal prescriptions to her complex complementary protocol. Ann is the founder of Annie Appleseed Project, a non-profit organization that provides information, education, advocacy, and awareness about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for cancer.
​
Lauren Huffmaster
Lauren was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer at the age of 37. The thought of her young children, and what this label would mean to them, overwhelmed her. At the same time, she felt empowered. Lauren knew there were hurting people, people who did not have the tools to escape the pain of their diagnosis, and because of her diagnosis, she could fully understand what was needed to serve, support and encourage them. As a young mother with metastatic cancer, she could understand the emotional burden that cancer brings into the life of a patient and his/her immediate family. Lauren founded the Adventure Therapy Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides outdoor adventure therapy programs for individuals struggling with mental health issues.
​
​
​
​
Jen Rosenbaum
Jen Rosenbaum author of "What the F*ck Just Happened", a recent book journaling her bi-lateral mastectomy and treatment for breast cancer. Struggling to get back to normal life after breast cancer? You were diagnosed with breast cancer and beat it. Congrats! You counted down until the day you could put the journey behind you and return to your life as you knew it before cancer. That day is here and yet you are still asking yourself, "When will things be normal again?". If you have been feeling like you are struggling emotionally, physically and spiritually in your post cancer life, you are not alone.
​
​
​
​
Jennifer Davis - In Memoriam
Jennifer Davis was the first recipient of the Tuohy vaccine in October of 2022. Since receiving the vaccine, Jenni has been an incredible ambassador for recruiting patients and gaining support for the Phase II Trial for which funding is needed. In her own words, "The breast cancer vaccine is a promising development in the fight against breast cancer. The vaccine works by targeting a specific protein found in breast cancer cells, which triggers the immune system to attack and destroy those cells." While the vaccine is still in the early stages of development, it has shown promising results in preclinical trials and could potentially be a game-changer in the fight against breast cancer.
Vicki Zarkim
At the time of her diagnosis, Vicki was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, She had 2 small children at home and vowed to do all she could to survive to raise them herself. despite her doctor’s advice to simply go home and get her affairs in order. She spent the next several years fighting for her life, advocating for herself and navigating through the healthcare system. Viki states, “After eleven years, I am told I am the only one alive like me. I want more women to stand next to me shoulder to shoulder. They too deserve to tuck their children into bed at night. So, it is up to me to fight for them, and fight I will.” I Am The One
​
TJ Hill
T.J. Hills was a busy working mother of 3 young boys in 2009 when she was diagnosed with an aggressive Stage III breast cancer. Like over 80% of breast cancer patients, she was the first person in her extended family to be diagnosed. She later learned that while there was no family history of cancer, there was extensive medical conditions resulting from less than perfect estrogen metabolism; conditions such as endometriosis, fibroid tumors, infertility and ovarian cysts. She took a simple gene test and learned how to improve her estrogen health with easy steps.