Survivor. Author of The Cancer Dancer: Healing-One Step at a Time.

I’m a 3-time Emmy winning TV producer dedicated to creating value and serving others. A published author, speaker & non-profit volunteer, I'm passionate about making a difference in people's lives.

I’m single (divorced). I have no kids, by design, but nurture everyone around me, especially my 4 cats (Tango, Chloe, Frankie and Pucci) and my dog Merlot. I’m into salsa music, spirituality and love our beautiful Mother Earth.

I’ve led a crazy busy non-stop life for years…until………..

On April 10th, 2008, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. As you would assume, the diagnosis shook my foundation and brought nearly all external life-processes and my busy life to a screeching halt. I saw my mom's life (and death) in front of me. She died of breast cancer 20 years prior at the age of 59. Grief, sadness and fear took over my entire body. In the moments after hearing the diagnosis, however, somehow I knew that this would be God’s way of helping me slow down, grow, reach my fullest potential as a human being and helps other through the sharing of my story.

It was in those moments early on that I realized I had the power to choose my attitude for how I would handle the situation. My instinct was to react as I usually do…looking at the glass as half full.

I tend to look for a silver lining, even in difficult situations. Fortunately, even in the midst of this journey.

We all know that we have only so much control over the events that take place in our lives. But what we DO have control over is how we respond to those events. The Dali Lama said it best: “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”

I have faith that everything happens as it does for a reason. When cancer hit me head on, I considered no option other than leaning into this difficult situation and learning what I was supposed to learn. If God’s will aligned with mine, I would survive cancer, use the healing journey as a time to reconnect with myself, set a new course for my life, and find more ways to help others with what I’ve learned.

This healing journey has led me to meet amazing people, including many beautiful, strong and courageous women. Organically some of us came together and formed a group called the “Link of Hope Sistas”. We’re all on the breast cancer journey together and when we gather we have fun…we inspire each other and learn from one another. That’s where Link of Hope was born.

I videotaped my journey beginning four hours after hearing the world "You have cancer". My goal: to help others on their journey through BC.

Discovery aired a one-hour documentary on my healing journey and I just released The Cancer Dancer - Healing: one step at a time. It is filled with more than 400 patient to patient and caregiver tips to make the journey easier for others.

As I always say, "Joy is a choice".

I was diagnosed with Invasic Ductal Carcinoma in 2008.
It was stage 1, Grade 3.
I was Her2 Neu Positive.

I had a double mastectomy and one year of chemo:
Abraxine
Carbo Platin
Herceptin

Reconstruction with implants