Meet the Interim CEO Guiding The Rose Through Change

Katherine Parsley

Named interim CEO, Katherine Parsley brings decades of courtroom, nonprofit, and judicial experience to The Rose. As a longtime patient and daughter of a survivor, she centers early mammograms, steady leadership, and practical encouragement for a largely women led team in transition.

How One Woman’s Breast Cancer Battle Led to the Self-Care Movement

Dr. Sean Fitzpatrick

During this conversation, Dorothy and Dr. Fitzpatrick talk about the past four years and how they’ve impacted the breast cancer community. He’ll talk about the need for caregivers to embrace self-care and encourages breast cancer patients to engage in self-acceptance.

Farewell Rose Family

Dorothy Headshot 2024

After nearly 40 years, Dorothy is passing the torch as CEO of The Rose. She joins us on the podcast as our esteemed guest, answering questions from fans of the show as well as The Rose team.

Meet One of The Rose’s Youngest Diagnosed Patients

Montserrat Duron

Monserrat’s decision to perform a self-exam after attending a health fair changed the trajectory of her life. Upon finding a lump, she faced unimaginable challenges due to a lack of insurance. Yet, with the support of The Rose and the steadfast care of Dr. Bonefas, she navigated a grueling journey towards recovery and advocacy. 

Julia Morales on Baseball, Motherhood, and Breast Cancer in the Family

Julia Morales

Baseball built Julia’s career, but it’s the people behind the game who keep her in Houston. She traces her path from small‑town athlete to Astros broadcaster, then opens up about 2020, when pregnancy, COVID, and her mother’s breast cancer collided, pushing her to start mammograms early and speak candidly about family history and early detection.

The St. Jude of Breast Cancer: Dr. Dixie’s Dream for Women with Nowhere to Go

Dixie Melillo 1

Dixie and I started The Rose because we were tired of telling women, “You have cancer, and there’s nowhere for you to go.” Forty years later, we’re back in that same fight. In this conversation, Dr. Dixie Melillo walks us from those early days of oil‑bust Houston and charity‑hospital waiting lists to today’s harsh reality: we can diagnose, but for too many uninsured and underinsured women, we can’t get them into treatment.

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

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 Cooper

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.