Come January, two Boca Raton women will be honored as breast cancer survivors at the More Than Pink Walk in West Palm Beach.
Lucille Ciaccia and Nicholle Chadwick are two of nine FORD Warriors in Pink in Palm Beach and Broward Counties.
“These women are beacons of hope and courage, inspiring us to continue our work to achieve a world without breast cancer,” Jamie Bellamy, development director at Susan G. Komen, said in a press release of the nine warriors.
Ciaccia discovered her breast cancer after getting her first mammogram; when it escalated from Stage 1 to 3 last year, she underwent a double mastectomy, AC-Thermotherapy and 25 rounds of radiation. Because of her experience, she encourages women, “Don’t be afraid to fight for yourself!”
Chadwick’s breast cancer diagnosis came in 2022 when she found a lump in her breast, officially Stage 2 triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma. She underwent a double mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation; she also tested positive for the BRCA 1 genetic mutation (the test looks for changes in two genes, which can be an indicator for developing cancer). As a survivor, she encourages others to find their “why” for fighting. “The answer can simply be yourself and the will to survive.”
The other FORD Warriors in pink:
- Stephanie R. Baker, RN, MSN, of Boynton Beach
- Erin M. Correa of Riviera Beach
- Julie Culpepper of Fort Lauderdale
- Kristen A. Dugan of North Palm Beach
- Elizabeth Hamma of Jupiter
- Shae Henderson of Broward County
- Allison Jones of Palm City
The More Than Pink Walk is Jan. 25 at the Meyer Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach; the event is open to the public and free to participate. For more information, visit komen.org/wpbwalk.
The Susan G. Komen Foundation was founded by Ambassador Nancy Brinker in honor of her late sister, who died of cancer in 1980. Brinker, who now lives in Palm Beach County, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Woman Volunteer of the Year luncheon.
