My name is Janna Boelke. I live in Santa Monica, CA with my husband, three teenage boys and a revolving door of dogs and cats.  I am an attorney with 20+ years of practice and love my in-house job with a local real estate developer.

I am a breast cancer survivor, in remission since 2020.  Right at the beginning of the pandemic – when the world felt like it was ending – I was fortunate to catch one tumor early with a scheduled mammogram, and ultimately found a second tumor through additional testing. My treatment included a double mastectomy with reconstruction, and ongoing endocrine therapy.

I found ACS in part because of the timing of my diagnosis. We were isolated from our friends and family.  I did not see some of my doctors in person until the day I met them for the surgery.  This meant that I felt completely alone, sitting with my fears at home with just the internet to guide me.  I should have been learning about the disease and my treatment options from my doctor, but was instead surfing the internet looking for answers.  This is when I found cancer.org and realized that having the American Cancer Society in my corner was a critical component for me to get well.

Cancer kept me down for a while – as it does – but a year later, I felt strong enough to turn the tables; take back my power and fight for my life and the lives of my friends and family.  In 2021, I realized ACS had more to offer me than just valuable research –  it connected me to a community of survivors and thrivers. I was encouraged to join the Making Strides event held in my city.  Within 2 months I was leading a large team walking to build community and fundraising for the cause. The Making Strides platform helped me effectively reach out to my own network, which led to meeting more survivors and connecting them with my growing support community.

I feel like I am still early in my journey of exploration of ACS and its treasure trove of benefits for patients, survivors, caregivers and medical experts. I look forward to giving back my time as a Voice of Hope to help connect others on this journey and fundraising for critical research.