Nicole is a veterinarian, a mother, and a breast cancer advocate. She was diagnosed at 40 years old with Stage IIb TNBC. She found her lump while breastfeeding her ten month old daughter. At first, Nicole thought that the lump was a clogged milk duct that just wouldn’t go away, but it became increasingly painful.
When her doctor called to tell her she had breast cancer, “it felt like someone socked me in the stomach and the throat at the same time.” It was a shock–she didn’t know anyone who looked like her who had breast cancer. From what she saw on TV and in magazines, Nicole thought breast cancer was an older white woman disease. In the years following her diagnosis, Nicole has advocated for increased representation of Black women diagnosed with breast cancer so that no new Breasties feel alone or unseen in their fight.
