Our letter to the woman just diagnosed

We're so glad you found us.

When many of us were first diagnosed, we found our way to a private Facebook community of women living with this disease. What started as a place to ask questions quickly became so much more. It became a lifeline. It was where we found answers, celebrated victories, mourned heartbreaking losses, and discovered the comfort of talking to people who truly understood.

That community became the foundation we're honored to build upon today.

Many of those same women helped create Sorority of Hope, an annual gathering that brings together survivors, supporters, caregivers, advocates, and families from around the world. When we attended our first gathering, something became crystal clear: while online communities can connect us, there is something profoundly healing about sitting across from another woman, sharing a hug, hearing her story, and realizing you don't have to explain your fears because she already understands.

Those moments of connection simply can't be replaced in the digital world.

That's why one of our deepest commitments is to help sustain and grow gatherings like Sorority of Hope through fundraising and community support, so that every woman who receives this diagnosis has the opportunity to experience the same sense of belonging, encouragement, and hope that so many of us have found.

Lifted Through Hope was created because every one of us wished this community had existed when we were first diagnosed. We needed someone who understood, not just the medical side of this disease, but the emotional side too. Someone who knew what scanxiety feels like. Someone who understood the waiting, the uncertainty, and the hope we hold onto between appointments.

We didn't start this sisterhood. We were welcomed into it. Now we're committed to making sure every woman who comes after us finds the same embrace.

Within these pages, you'll meet women who have walked this road before you. You'll find stories from survivors, caregivers, advocates, and families who continue to honor loved ones lost to this disease. You'll discover educational resources, emerging research, and information to help you become your own best advocate as you navigate treatment and recovery.

But more than anything else, you'll find people.

Real women. Real conversations. Real hope.

Someone to celebrate your victories with. Someone to sit with you through the hard days. Someone who understands without needing an explanation.

Because while this cancer may be rare, you are not rare to us.

One of our doctors once shared something that has stayed with many of us:

"Each treatment we try is like adding a drop of water to a bucket. We don't stop adding drops until there's no room for another."

We love that reminder because hope isn't found in one single drop. It's found in continuing to move forward; one treatment, one conversation, one breakthrough, and one day at a time.

From this moment forward, we hope you know that you have a community standing beside you. We can't promise the road ahead will be easy, but we can promise you this:

You don't have to walk it alone.

Love,

Jen, Malee, Lynette, and Jezebel