Beyond Surgery: The Breast Cancer Recovery Nobody Prepared Her For

Diane Fung

Diane Feng joins Roxann Hayford to share how a mobile screening through The Rose and I’ll Have What She’s Having led to a breast cancer diagnosis. She talks about navigating insurance, facing surgery, and finding help when medication side effects made recovery harder than expected. She also explains why looking well doesn’t mean feeling well—and why speaking up matters.

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.

When Both Parents Face Cancer: A Family’s Story of Support and Recovery

Breanne and Michael

Cancer changed their family twice, and recovery took more than surgery.

Breanne and Michael Thomas join Angie Lane to share how they supported each other and their three children through separate cancer diagnoses. They discuss telling their kids, organizing meals and carpools, asking friends for specific help, and why healing doesn’t end when treatment does. Their message: make room for recovery, accept support, and give yourself time to live beyond survival.

She Made a Film About Breast Cancer, Then Received Her Own Diagnosis

Erin Mitchel

Producer Erin E. Mitchell joins Roxann Hayford to discuss Outriding the Devil and her own recent breast cancer diagnosis. She shares why she initially delayed having a lump checked, how the woman featured in her film became a source of strength, and what her first chemotherapy treatment taught her about asking questions, reporting symptoms, and accepting support.

Never Too Busy for Your Health: A Houston Leader’s Breast Cancer Story

Nancy Meyer

A small lump led to a life-changing diagnosis, but early action, excellent care, and a strong circle of support helped Nancy Meyer become a 25-year breast cancer survivor. In this episode, Houston Chronicle President and Publisher Nancy Meyer joins The Rose CEO Angie Lane to share the personal story behind her public leadership. Nancy recalls hearing the words “breast cancer,” going through chemotherapy and radiation, and learning that no job, family obligation, or busy schedule should come before your health. She talks about screening, self-advocacy, compassion in the workplace, Houston’s generous spirit, and why every woman deserves access to early detection and treatment.

Early Detection, Big Love: A Breast Cancer Journey With Southern Smoke Foundation

Lindsey and Chris

Lindsey shares how regular mammograms and ultrasounds helped catch her cancer, what aggressive treatment looked like, and why the anticipation often felt worse than the treatment itself. Together, she and Chris talk about community support, a pink wig, a porch full of pumpkins, giant pink balloons, ringing the bell after chemotherapy, and the small rituals that helped them find joy along the way.

Finding a Lump at 18 and Building a Life Beyond Breast Cancer

Montserrat 2

A breast self-exam changed Montsy Duron’s life before she was even out of high school. In this episode, Montsy shares how a brochure from The Rose led her to find a lump at 18, why repeated tumors led to a mastectomy and reconstruction at 21, and how surviving a health crisis gave her the strength to finish college, become a first-generation graduate, lead an HR team, and become a mother. She talks honestly about fear, recovery, family, faith, and the message she wants every young woman to hear: know your body, trust your instincts, ask for help, and remember that you can do hard things.

From Survivor to Board Chair: Maria Boyce’s Fight for Breast Health Equity

Maria Boyce 2026

Former 36-year trial attorney, breast cancer survivor, and a passionate advocate fighting for healthcare equity. Maria Boyce steps into her new role as Board Chair of The Rose, channeling her own life-saving early diagnosis into a mission to ensure quality breast healthcare is a right for all women, not a privilege. From navigating structural barriers across 45 Texas counties and supporting women through patient advocacy to making a legacy gift for future generations, Maria discusses how early detection, dedicated advocacy, and community support save lives. If this conversation has inspired you to join the fight against breast cancer, share this episode with family and friends and consider making a donation at therose.org so another woman gets the care she needs.

More Than Mammograms: How Anna Turns Grants Into Lifesaving Care

Ana Caballero

In this episode, Anna Caballero explains how she matches The Rose’s mission with state programs, foundations, and local donors, why rural counties and maintenance funds matter as much as screening dollars, and how her own mother’s late‑stage breast cancer diagnosis shaped her passion for access and self‑advocacy. She shares how today’s funders expect data, outcomes, and systems change, and why she still believes every mammogram sits inside a much bigger story of community health, navigation, and follow‑up.

Insured and Still Facing a $5,000 Biopsy Bill

brandi blankenship

Brandi manages the tennis pro shop at Willow Fork Country Club in Katy, the club behind Pretty in Pink, an annual golf and tennis fundraiser that raised $22,000 for The Rose in a single day. She had insurance, a routine mammogram, and no reason to expect a problem until her scan came back inconclusive, then abnormal, and a biopsy she was quoted at nearly $5,000 out of pocket. In this conversation, Brandi talks honestly about the fear of waiting, the relief of a benign result, and how her whole relationship with Pretty in Pink changed once she understood exactly how the fundraiser helps all women in need.