BreastCancerStories.org

How We Started

This site was started as a result of an online journal—affectionately nicknamed Bald Wendy—that was started by Wendy McCoole, Executive Director and Founder, to keep her family and friends updated as she progressed through her breast cancer treatments in 2004. Wendy was 42 years old when diagnosed—the same age her mother was when she was first diagnosed 25 years earlier.

In her online journal Wendy shared candid thoughts about how she was feeling physically and emotionally, and displayed photos of her head being shaved in preparation for chemo, her chemo team at the cancer center, and even photos of her nieces and nephew painting her head like an Easter egg.

To her surprise the site was shared by hundreds of people, many of whom she didn't know but who thanked her for honestly and candidly telling her story online. It helped them to not feel so alone.

It became very clear that if her one story could help that many people, how wonderful it would be if a similar site could be created so others could share their stories and stay connected as well.

BreastCancerStories.org launched in the summer of 2006 and has received praise and support from patients and their family members, hospitals, and social workers throughout the country.

Read Wendy's Story