This year marks 15 years since my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer and died at the age of only 34. She left behind 3 young children and a family who was devastated. I have struggled for years to make sense of her loss and the one thing that I cling to is the knowledge that her sacrifice was able to educate our family on the importance of early detection in women that are at high risk for breast cancer. She and I were, unknowingly, at a significantly higher risk due to our family history, including our maternal grandmother diagnosed with breast cancer in her 40s.

Her death, while tragic, has opened my eyes to advocating for myself and finding practitioners willing to advocate for me to prevent the same unfortunate outcome. Over the past 15 years, I have been fortunate enough to have diligent and concerned practitioners educate and promote the benefits of high-risk monitoring, genetic counseling, early detection, and risk-lowering measures.

One of the most valuable risk-lowering measures I have been afforded is the bilateral breast MRI that I have annually. This is how I met Amanda. Over the past nine years that I have been having my MRI, I have had five MRI-guided biopsies, and Amanda has been there to support me every time.

Amanda has helped from the beginning of my journey to educate and explain what to expect with each visit. She has advocated for earlier appointments and offered me cancellations when able so I could get the best care in a timely fashion. I know her voice when I answer pre-procedure phone calls. When I arrive for my appointment, Amanda greets me with a hug as she takes me back to review my history. She walks me through the process, listens, and we exchange stories of our families, which eases my worry. She jokes with me and reassures me when I experience discomfort. She teaches me how to care for myself following the biopsies and makes me feel confident that no matter what the result, everything will be ok, because I have early detection on my side. I depart with an Amanda farewell hug. While I know her experience and knowledge are critical, her personal approach to myself and all of her patients is what sets her apart. She goes above and beyond each and every time.

I know she doesn’t work alone and would humbly share the credit with other staff, but Amanda has a special way of making an incredibly scary situation a much more bearable experience. She isn’t afraid of my emotions and freely asks the tough questions. She empathizes with me and validates my feelings in a way that some of my closest family and friends do not. As much as I wish I weren’t in the position I am, I am grateful that I have a “Breast” friend like Amanda to support me along the way.