Despite being told she was too young to have cancer, in 2011 at the age of 23, filmmaker Melissa Boratyn was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer.  The cancer would eventually return and metastasize not once but twice.  The trials and tribulations she faced dealing with the pesky disease inspired Melissa and co-director, her husband Jimmy to flip the script and put young breast cancer support and advocacy on the big screen with the movie Ginger.  The award winning feature film has been screened all over the world. Ginger can now be viewed through Amazon or Tubi. 

In 2009 Lisa Crites, a broadcast journalist, media strategist and healthcare consultant was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a bilateral mastectomy followed by over six surgeries as a result of an infection.  Lisa searched for a water-resistant garment to shield her surgical drains from bacteria-laden tap water but nothing existed on the market.  After having to shower in plastic trash bags, Lisa’s entrepreneurism and investigative skill kicked in and inspired her invention– the award winning  post-surgical, patented Shower Shirt.  The Shower Shirt was introduced to the U.S. Market in 2011 and is currently sold in boutiques, Walmart.com, Amazon.com and all over the world to post-mastectomy and chest surgery patients who have drains, ports and catheters.

Tamara Rodriguez, an entrepreneur and financial executive, counts her ER+ 2014 breast cancer diagnosis as the impetus for writing a book to teach her young daughters about the frightening disease. Hair to the Queen is a beautifully illustrated narrative that empowers survivor Queens and Kings all over the world to have compassionate little Breast Talk Evers in English, Creole, French or Spanish with their young Heirs. Hair to the Queen!..and Kings!