Words to Live By

Young Survival Coalition

An award-winning photo and video series co-created by The Rathkopfs, Young Survival Coalition, and the metastatic breast cancer (MBC) community.

This by-community, for-community project was developed in close partnership with patients and advocates, including storyteller, influencer, and MBC thriver Lauren Huffmaster.

The series centers the voices of young adults living with MBC, offering a raw, emotional, and spiritually grounded look at life as a thriver. Throughout the process, we asked participants what stories they wanted to tell and built the project around their experiences, values, and truths. The result is a collaborative, community-led body of work that reflects the realities of living with metastatic breast cancer in the participants’ own words.

Ashley

Living with MBC has helped Ashley unlock power from within that she didn’t even know existed. While her diagnosis has brought loss in many areas of her life, she hopes people see that having MBC doesn’t mean she’s dying – she’s still here living, dancing, and finding joy in life, especially with her husband and daughter, who are her world.

Jasmine

Through the storms Jasmine has weathered in her life, she’s found restoration in her unyielding faith and determination. She knows that while living with MBC is real and challenging, it doesn’t mean it’s the end.

Wren

Living with MBC has forced Wren to show up fiercely and fully, uncovering layers of strength she didn’t know existed. Hope carries her through the hardest days, and so does her drive to make sure others living with MBC feel seen and heard. That’s why she started the podcast Living Our Breast Lives – a way to give back to the community that’s been therapeutic for both listeners and herself.

Christina

For Christina, life with metastatic breast cancer is a story of rebirth. She describes a clear before and after – navigating the overwhelming early years of her diagnosis with a renewed focus on savoring every moment of her life, especially time with her family.

Katie

Mindset is everything to Katie – it’s what helps her keep thriving every day, not only for herself but for her husband and three children. While MBC is a part of her life, it’s just that – a part. She’s still laughing, pursuing her passions, and showing up fully as the woman she’s always been.

Jo-Ann

Jo-Ann’s experience with MBC has tested her strength through three separate diagnoses. Through it all, she’s learned that persistence – not anger – is what carries her forward as she continues to heal and hope for more time.

Tiana

Tiana chooses to live life optimistically, reclaiming her MBC diagnosis not as a death sentence but as her purpose. A proud soccer mom to her 8-year-old son, she draws strength from her community – including a fellow survivor who helped shift her mindset from “Why me?” to “Why not me?”

Two women with shaved heads hugging each other in a warmly-lit, modern indoor space with large windows, smiling and embracing.

A woman with dark hair and pearl jewelry looking to the side outdoors

A child is smiling while being kissed on each cheek by her parents in an outdoor setting.

A young woman with long, light brown hair smiling and leaning against a wall in a room with curtains and a wooden door.

A woman with a shaved head, wearing glasses, earrings, and a white T-shirt, is adjusting her pink jacket on her shoulder while looking to the side.

Person practicing yoga indoors on a mat with city buildings visible outside the window.

A woman with dark curly hair sits cross-legged on the grass in a garden, eyes closed, appearing to be meditating or relaxing, with a bush and trees in the background.

Close-up of a woman with a shaved head wearing large pink and white earrings, a chunky chain necklace, and a white T-shirt with partially visible text.

Two women embrace each other affectionately indoors with city buildings visible through the window behind them.

A woman with dark curly hair, wearing hoop earrings and a floral top, stands against a purple background with white and pink text about her journey living with metastatic breast cancer.

Poster of a woman with short dark hair, glasses, and earrings, with text about her breast cancer survival story and the word 'Reborn' at the top.

A woman with a bald head and earrings, wearing a pink T-shirt and denim jacket with pins and patches, poses for a photo. The background features text about breast cancer recovery and a pink ribbon graphic.

A woman with dark hair and pearl jewelry looking contemplative against a gradient background, with overlaid text about persistence and life stories.

A woman embracing a young woman with metastatic breast cancer, smiling together against a purple background with text about their story.

A woman with glasses and a shaved head smiling against a pink background, with inspirational text about optimism and overcoming life's challenges.

Smiling woman with long blond hair wearing a gray cardigan and striped shirt, standing against a reddish-brown background, with text about breast cancer diagnosis and a program called 'Words to Live By' from MBC Community.

JASMINE

“I think the way I even think about dreams are different now - I just think of the word peace”

TIANA

“Instead of me feeling like I’ve got a death sentence, I view it as my purpose.”

ASHLEY

“I had to have a hysterectomy, I’ve had so many surgeries - I’ve lost my career.”

CHRISTINA

“I think the way I even think about dreams are different now - I just think of the word peace”

WREN

“For every day that I’m on this earth I will make sure that our voices are heard.”

KATIE

“I'm alive right now. And I want people to see that I'm alive right now. I have metastatic breast cancer, but I'm not metastatic breast cancer.”

JOANNA

“The third time [I was diagnosed], I was pissed off.”

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