On October 21, 2021, Bonita found out she had breast cancer. Her radiologist decided to err on the side of caution and performed a needle biopsy, which saved her life.
Her breast surgeon requested an MRI, which identified another mass that went unseen by the mammogram. She felt lucky to be so unlucky. After a double mastectomy, chemo, and reconstruction, she turned to advocacy to help educate others on how early detection saves lives. Through advocacy, she began using her voice to ask for more dollars for cancer research; without years of research, her cancer would not have been found when it was.
Without continued investment in cancer research, we would not have the screening and detection tools that found my cancer early. Early detection truly saved my life. I keep advocating for cancer research so more lives can be saved.