Diagnosed at 34: Amber Gonzalez’s Triple Negative Breast Cancer Journey
Amber Gonzalez shares how a pea sized lump led to a triple negative breast cancer diagnosis, aggressive chemo, surgery, and hard decisions about what to tell her children. From cold caps and hats to long days at Texas Oncology with her mother at her side, Amber shows what early action, self exams, and strong support can mean for young women facing breast cancer.
From Survivor to Board Chair: Maria Boyce’s Fight for Breast Health Equity
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.
Interview with Emilee Whitehurst (Part 2): Re-Grounding Your Life After Overwork and Exhaustion
Emilee Whitehurst returns for another conversation about taking a personal sabbatical from nonstop work, listening to her body again, and building simple practices that support her health, her purpose, and her ability to show up for others. Her story gives anyone in caregiving, nonprofit work, or healthcare permission to pause, heal, and return stronger.
The Rose at 39: Dorothy and Dixie Discuss Barriers, Hope, and Healing
The Rose turns 39! Join founders Dorothy Gibbons and Dr. Dixie Melillo as they share stories of hope, dignity, and care for every woman, especially those told there’s no way forward. This special episode honors their legacy, tackles barriers for the uninsured, and reveals why The Rose means a better life for thousands.
Interview with Emilee Whitehurst (Part 1): When Enough Is Enough: Emilee Whitehurst on Burnout and Beginning Again
In this first conversation, Emilee Whitehurst traces her path from human biology and divinity school into community organizing, parish ministry, and leadership at Interfaith Action of Central Texas, the Rothko Chapel, Planned Parenthood, and the Houston Area Women’s Center. She describes guiding shelters through COVID, running three facilities at once, and realizing that every minute of her life was organized around work. Emilee explains how a single thought — “I do not have to keep doing this” — triggered a powerful physical release, pushed her to live off retirement savings, and forced her to relearn what rest feels like, rethink her worth, and imagine a different way to lead and live.
More Than Mammograms: How Anna Turns Grants Into Lifesaving Care
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.
Boardrooms, Bedside, and Beyond: A Future OB‑GYN’s Journey With The Rose
In this episode, Shivanki Juneja shares how her MD–MBA program and board service helped her understand healthcare finance and impact, why stories from postpartum moms and safety‑net clinics pushed her toward OB‑GYN and health equity, and how she hopes to make preventive care and judgment‑free visits the norm for her future patients.
When Reimbursement Shrinks and Need Grows: A New CEO’s View From The Rose
During this conversation, COO Jessica Duckworth sits down with Angie Lane to talk about what surprised her most in her first six weeks, why 3D mammography on five pink coaches is non‑negotiable for twenty‑six Texas counties with no freestanding imaging, and how shrinking insurance and Medicare payments make patient navigation and financial stewardship core to The Rose’s future.
Insured and Still Facing a $5,000 Biopsy Bill
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.
An Afternoon That Changed Her Life
During this conversation, Ana Henriquez discusses the challenges she faced as an uninsured patient, and how The Rose provided invaluable support in guiding her through the complex insurance process. With raw honesty, she dives into emotional toll of losing her hair and the unwavering love and encouragement she received from her husband and family.