Now, a breast cancer survivor, she is part of a growing number of younger women helping to shine the light on the importance of early detection, mammograms for younger women and most importantly, for women to listen to their own bodies and internal voices.

As a respected long-time activist, founder of The Beautiful Gate Cancer Support & Resource Center (TBG), and a breast cancer survivor herself, Pamela knows firsthand what it is to lack proper resources when diagnosed with a life-threatening disease. After her breast cancer diagnosis, Pamela became even more committed to making a difference in the lives of others diagnosed with cancer. Today, she travels the state presenting her MASS Program, which brings breast health education to underserved populations and helps save lives by preventing late stage diagnoses.

At the age of 33, Melissa was diagnosed with triple-negative infiltrating ductal carcinoma. Young, with a 4-year-old daughter, husband, and fast-paced career as a massage therapist, she felt a sudden loss of control over her life. An otherwise healthy person who exercised, did not smoke, only drank socially, who tested negative for any BRCA mutations, and had no family history, Melissa was shocked and unsure how she got breast cancer. Melissa had a double mastectomy and reconstruction with expanders followed by 6 rounds of 3 different chemotherapy drugs. 

Elena’s breast cancer journey began with stages 1 and 2 on the right breast and stages 2 and 3 on the left breast with lymph nodes removed. Treatment began with a double mastectomy. A second surgery included the removal of both ovaries and fallopian tube to keep hormones at bay. Then Elena had two kinds of chemotherapy--losing her hair in the process--followed by 28 rounds of radiation treatments. Presently, she is finishing five years of oral chemotherapy pills, and continues to be monitored by a team of doctors. She suffers from fatigue, irritated bowel syndrome, and arthritic pain in her joints, but daily exercise and acupuncture help to alleviate symptoms. Through her pain and recovery, Elena still tries to keep her chin up and smile every day.

Show your support while helping end breast cancer. When you purchase the End Breast Cancer license plate for $30 each year, $25 is given to the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation (FBCF) to fund breast cancer research and education programs for Florida residents. 

FBCF has awarded over $5 million to Florida institutions and nonprofit organizations in a continuing effort to educate Floridians about breast cancer and support innovative research to find more effective ways to diagnose, treat, and cure breast cancer. For more information on how to get your End Breast Cancer license plate, visit http://www.floridabreastcancer.org/license-plate