God Winks, Ringing Bells, and The Rose: Nancy and Shelley’s Shared Journey as Honorees at the Everything’s Coming Up Roses Luncheon

Nancy and Shelley didn’t plan to share a breast cancer story, much less two very different diagnoses, eight years apart. One faced stage zero DCIS at 41 after pushing for a 3D mammogram; the other walked into an annual screening, felt no lump, and still heard “stage two HER2‑positive.” In this conversation, we talk about what happens when two pragmatic, organized women lean on faith, friendship, and their networks to move fast on treatment—then turn around and use their experience to champion The Rose and the women who rely on us for access to mammograms, diagnostics, and compassionate care.

From Plastics to Patient Advocate: Honoring Shelley Cooper at This Year’s Everything’s Coming Up Roses Luncheon

Shelley didn’t see herself as “an honoree.” She saw herself as a working mom in a male‑dominated industry who just wanted to stay ahead of breast cancer. In this conversation, she walks us through the mammogram she almost didn’t get, the stage zero DCIS diagnosis that still shook her, and the 10 years of follow‑up, skin checks, and colonoscopies that followed. Her story reminds us that early detection, asking questions, and having access to care—like the care The Rose offers uninsured and underinsured women—can change everything.