Let's Talk About Your Breasts

Pat McDavid, affectionately known as “Sunshine,” has supported The Rose for years. For close to ten years, Pat has attended our annual Shrimp Boil. And without fail, he gets the crowd going by raising his live auction paddle. As you listen to Pat’s story, you’ll learn that his commitment to giving back stems from his upbringing. He was instilled with the belief that helping others is paramount. Pa...

A new CEO steps into The Rose and immediately confronts the realities behind 60,000 annual screenings: rural healthcare deserts, under‑reimbursed mammograms, and an aging but essential mobile fleet. During this conversation, COO Jessica Duckworth sits down with Angie Lane to talk about what surprised her most in her first six weeks, why 3D mammography on five pink coaches is non‑negotiable for twe...

Have you ever thought getting involved in a cause would mean so much more after a personal diagnosis? For some, it starts as volunteering or supporting loved ones. For others, it becomes a personal journey of survival, advocacy, and sharing information. - You’ll hear how quick action matters, even without family history. - You’ll learn how involvement grows when you or someone close to...

Brandi manages the tennis pro shop at Willow Fork Country Club in Katy, the club behind Pretty in Pink, an annual golf and tennis fundraiser that raised $22,000 for The Rose in a single day. She had insurance, a routine mammogram, and no reason to expect a problem until her scan came back inconclusive, then abnormal, and a biopsy she was quoted at nearly $5,000 out of pocket. In this conversation,...

An afternoon of yard work changed her life. Uninsured and discovering she had breast cancer, 37-year-old Ana Henriquez talks about her challenges and what it took to survive. With raw honesty, she dives into the emotional toll of losing her hair, saying goodbye to her breasts, and the unwavering love and encouragement she received from her husband and family. Ana emphasizes the critical importance...

Safiya felt a lump at 36, had no insurance, and almost didn't know where to turn. Thankfully, a referral brought her to The Rose, where our patient navigation team helped her qualify for breast cancer treatment and got her first appointment at MD Anderson scheduled in just 15 days. Through all of it, our navigators walked alongside her, and her faith, anchored by a prayer her father read her the d...

Ginger Clark shares her personal journey battling breast cancer. Despite the challenges, she expresses gratitude and highlights the importance of early detection through regular mammograms. The episode also delves into rural healthcare issues, emphasizing the struggles small hospitals face in providing adequate services. Ginger speaks to Dorothy about healthcare access, particularly for uninsured...

Susan has been connected to The Rose since the mid-1980s, when her boss at Texas Commerce Bank handed her a stack of newspaper articles and asked her to learn everything she could about a surgeon named Dr. Dixie Melillo. That assignment turned into a decades-long relationship with The Rose, years of emceeing fundraising style shows, and an unbroken commitment to the mission that continues today. S...

How do you talk about breast cancer when it’s something your community rarely discusses, sometimes because of culture, sometimes because of faith, and sometimes just because it’s hard?  Salima Hirani faced breast cancer not just as a patient, but as a mother, a daughter, and someone who knew the taboos around speaking up. In this episode: - You’ll hear how Salima found her o...

En este episodio, hablamos con Maribel, sobreviviente de cáncer de mama diagnosticada en The Rose. Maribel comparte cómo el cáncer de su hermana menor fue una señal de alerta que la motivó a realizarse una mamografía sin seguro médico. Gracias a la ayuda de The Rose, pudo recibir un diagnóstico a tiempo, lo que fue crucial para su tratamiento. Maribel nos cuenta sobre los desafíos emocionales, la...

Marilyn is an attorney, CPA, and president of the Bill and Helen Crowder Foundation, the private foundation whose generosity helped build The Rose's podcast studio. She has been a Rose patient since the late 1970s, when she came in for her very first mammogram after moving to Houston. Decades later, she found herself in a very different role, as a Stage III HER2 positive breast cancer patient. Her...

Linda Petticrew is one determined woman. She’s worked hard and many long hours to build a stunning career as an Executive Assistant to some of the top CEO’s in the city. But her real strength tenacity was when she faced breast cancer, not once but twice. Diagnosed at a young age, she fought and won her battle and then twenty years later had to fight it again. During this episode, Linda...

Special Events Manager Shannon McNair takes us behind the scenes of The Rose’s annual Shrimp Boil, a nearly 40‑year tradition where fresh Gulf shrimp, auctions, raffles, and desserts turn a casual Saturday with 800 of your closest friends and family into a lifeline for breast health for women in our 45-county service area. Support The Rose HERE . Subscribe to Let’s Talk About Your Brea...

Her chance of dying from breast cancer is 50% higher than other women. She has a family history and she’s Black.  But that’s not stopping Kim Roxie from changing the odds. Kim is a staunch supporter of The Rose and founder of LAMIK Beauty, a makeup line for women of color made with vegan, natural and organic ingredients. During this conversation, Dorothy talks with Kim about her m...

A casual night watching sports, a quick breast self-exam, and a lump that did not belong there. Faced with no insurance and four months of not knowing what to do, Felicia Kent walked into a neighborhood clinic, received a referral to The Rose, and heard the three words that changed everything: you have cancer. In this episode, she talks about choosing a treatment center, using research and strict...

Marcella Herrera from the Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center joins the show to talk about the ways their all-volunteer staff helps survivors thrive after fighting the battle of their lives. During this episode, you'll learn about the wide array of programs offered, as well as the importance of having an empathetic shoulder to lean on (that's not a re...

Some women clear their calendar for a mammogram. Others step onto a 40-foot pink coach in their office parking lot. As director of mobile services at The Rose, Shelly Kot oversees a five-coach fleet that delivers the same 3D screening you’d get in a center to women across 45 counties in Southeast Texas. During this conversation, she talks about the moving parts that keep those rolling clinic...

Jennifer Parrish, Manager of Business Services at the Lighthouse of Houston, joins Dorothy to share her story. Parrish talks about managing work at the Lighthouse of Houston, overcoming transportation issues for treatments, and addressing misconceptions around breast cancer.  Despite facing breast cancer, legal blindness, and personal loss, Jennifer's resilience and positive attitude shine. S...

En este episodio, conversamos con la Dra. Cotes, radióloga experta en salud mamaria, para aclarar muchos de los mitos y preocupaciones comunes que existen sobre la mamografía. Desde la temida radiación hasta los diferentes tipos de exámenes disponibles, la Dra. Cotes nos explica de manera sencilla cómo la mamografía es una herramienta segura y crucial para...

Being uninsured, speaking a different language, or not understanding a 40-page form should never decide who lives or dies. In this episode, patient navigators Laura Tovar and Elizabeth Esparza walk us through what really happens after an uninsured woman hears “you have breast cancer” at The Rose. They explain how they review applications before diagnosis, sit in the room with the radio...

Jennifer Pareya's support for The Rose spans more than twenty years and it all started with her mom’s breast cancer experience. Jennifer’s mom, Judy, was diagnosed at The Rose and after beating breast cancer, she insisted on the family giving back. And they’ve done so tenfold. From fundraisers at the Lighthouse Pub to Bikers Against Breast Cancer, they’ve spent many years a...

Nonprofit leaders dream of someone walking in and saying, “I’m going to give you a million dollars.” Very few ever see it happen. In this episode, a longtime supporter explains why she chose to fund multiple mobile coaches, help open an East Texas Regional Service Center, and seed The Rose’s Mammogram to Medical Home program instead of paying for brick and mortar. She talks...

Dorothy sits down with Dr. Wei Yang, a renowned professor and breast radiologist. Dr. Yang emphasizes the significance of mammography, recommending annual screening starting at age 40 for women at average risk. During this conversation, you’ll hear about the benefits of digital breast tomosynthesis (3D mammography) and breast MRI for women at elevated risk, highlighting the positive outcomes...

During this mashup episode, you’ll hear from supporters of Hats and Henna High Tea, a community driven event that celebrates survivors, supports patients, and raises critical funds for The Rose. These are supporters, caregivers, and champions. They talk about mothers and mothers in law facing breast cancer, the sacrifices families make, and the resilience that shows up in hospital rooms, sma...

Diagnosed with breast cancer while living a health-conscious lifestyle, Nancy Martch aggressively battled her Stage 3B diagnosis head-on. Now, leveraging her yoga expertise, Nancy empowers others through personalized yoga therapy, blending acceptance and self-awareness into her healing approach. Support The Rose HERE . Subscribe to Let’s Talk About Your Breasts on Apple Podcasts , Spotify ,...