To advance our mission of Helping Women Now, NBCF partners with certain nonprofit organizations to ensure that everyone affected by breast cancer receives the help, hope, and support they need, no matter the circumstance. One such nonprofit partner is ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis, which offers individual, one-to-one emotional support and mentoring to anyone impacted by breast cancer. This guest blog post, written in partnership with ABCD, highlights the organization’s mission and impact within the breast cancer community.
A breast cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming, bringing a flood of emotions and uncertainties. For Megan, it was a life-altering moment that left her feeling isolated and lost. Soon after turning 39 years old, she was diagnosed with Stage 1 ER+ PR+ HER2- breast cancer. “The diagnosis shocked me. I had never had any health problems before, exercised regularly, and ate a healthy diet,” Megan shares. “It’s one of those things where you never think it’s going to be you—until it is.”
Despite having well-meaning family and friends, Megan wished for someone who truly understood what she was going through, particularly someone she could talk to about their experience with breast reconstruction. She knew she wanted reconstruction but was having difficulty deciding between implants or DIEP flap.
Thankfully, Megan found a brochure for ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis, a nonprofit organization that offers free one-to-one emotional support to people impacted by breast cancer. After reaching out to ABCD, Megan was matched with a trained Mentor who was a similar age with the same type of breast cancer. For the first time since her diagnosis, Megan felt a deep sense of understanding and connection.
“I could ask my Mentor anything, even questions I didn’t feel comfortable asking my doctors,” Megan recalls. “Hearing about her reconstruction experience brought clarity and I was able to decide what type of reconstruction was right for me after my bilaterial mastectomy. Knowing my Mentor had been through it and had come out the other side gave me hope that I could do the same.” Now a Mentor herself, Megan supports others facing a similar situation. “I tell each person I talk to that I’m here for them in the way they need. It’s important to meet the person where they’re at in this moment in time—and that’s what an ABCD Mentor does,” she shares.
ABCD’s mission is to inspire hope and transform lives by providing free emotional support to anyone impacted by breast cancer, anywhere. They support all stages of breast cancer, including Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer (MBC). They also help previvors, men with breast cancer, and family, friends, and caregivers—because when a loved one has breast cancer, family members, friends, and caregivers are affected, too.
Megan’s story is one example of the powerful connections ABCD fosters. ABCD’s community of over 275 trained Mentors includes previvors, survivors, those living with metastatic breast cancer, as well as family members and friends, who all provide emotional support and guidance based on shared experiences. Whether someone is at high risk for breast cancer, newly diagnosed, navigating treatment, or facing survivorship challenges, ABCD thoughtfully matches them with a trained Mentor who understands their unique concerns.
This matters because breast cancer is not just a medical experience—it’s deeply personal. Two people with the same diagnosis may have completely different concerns, fears, and decisions to make. ABCD’s customized approach ensures that each Participant receives empathetic and individualized emotional support that complements their medical care.
Breast cancer doesn’t wait for the right time or place. That’s why ABCD’s support is provided virtually, ensuring that anyone, anywhere, can connect with a Mentor.
While hospital visits, treatments, and personal obligations can make it difficult to seek out in-person support, ABCD’s virtual model makes meaningful connections possible, regardless of location.
ABCD is built on the belief that no one should feel alone in their breast cancer experience.
Whether it’s finding the right words to explain a diagnosis to loved ones, preparing for surgery, or dealing with fears about recurrence, ABCD Mentors are here to listen, provide a safe space to share, and offer understanding and compassion when people need it most.
To learn more about ABCD or to connect with a Mentor, visit the ABCD website.
NBCF also offers emotional support to breast cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers through support groups and educational resources, including free eBooks and guides.
Research shows that taking part in support groups, where patients and survivors both give and receive help, is an effective way to reduce the stress and anxiety that often comes with a breast cancer diagnosis. NBCF offers free monthly virtual and in-person support groups to fit the needs of every patient and survivor. Learn more about NBCF Breast Cancer Support Groups.
In order to meet every person where they are in their journey, NBCF offers dozens of free eBooks and guides that provide education and support through a breast cancer diagnosis, as well as encourage healthy living whether facing a diagnosis or not.
Examples of free guides that may be of interest to patients and caregivers seeking support and information include:
National Breast Cancer Foundation is here for you as you navigate a breast cancer diagnosis. Visit our website to learn about NBCF breast cancer support groups, obtain free educational resources, or find a patient navigator in your area.
All images are courtesy of After Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD).
Donations are always appreciated, but there are lots of great ways to get involved.
