ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis

ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis ABCD provides FREE, one-to-one emotional support to anyone impacted by breast cancer.

With 300+ volunteer Mentors around the country, our customized services provide hope, guidance and compassion to patients, families and friends around the world. ABCD offers FREE, personalized emotional support and information for anyone impacted by breast cancer. As a complement to medical care, we match people with a trained volunteer Mentor who has a similar lived experience, providing compassionate support based on diagnosis, treatment, age, and lifestyle. With a fully virtual platform, ABCD helps people worldwide, ensuring no one faces breast cancer alone.

From losing her mother to inflammatory breast cancer to navigating her own diagnosis, Shironda Goree has turned lived ex...
12/30/2025

From losing her mother to inflammatory breast cancer to navigating her own diagnosis, Shironda Goree has turned lived experience into purpose, becoming a powerful advocate and voice for the value of peer support.

💬 “I want people to have their mothers, grandmothers, and sisters as long as they can,” she says. “That’s been my driving force to get awareness out there, educate people, and be a resource or a support system advocate.”

Shironda, who became an ABCD Mentor in September 2024, recalls one conversation she had with a Participant who was dating after breast cancer. “I told her, make sure you’re serious about the person first and then when you’re comfortable, let them know. She was struggling with the same thing I was.”

🔗 Read Shironda’s story of how she honors her mother's legacy every day:
https://abcdbreastcancersupport.org/our_stories/shironda-goree-carrying-her-mothers-legacy-forward/

We’re proud to share that our Executive Director, Ellen Friebert Schupper, has been appointed to the American Cancer Soc...
12/26/2025

We’re proud to share that our Executive Director, Ellen Friebert Schupper, has been appointed to the American Cancer Society (ACS) National Breast Cancer Roundtable (NBCRT) Steering Committee. 🎉

ABCD is a member of the ACS NBCRT, which leads collective action nationwide to ensure every person and their support systems understand breast cancer risk and screening needs, and can access timely, high-quality, compassionate care. As a Steering Committee member, Ellen will help provide leadership and vision to advance this important work.

Ellen’s appointment is a testament to ABCD’s national leadership and impact. Since joining ABCD in 2017, she has led our evolution into a fully virtual organization that supports thousands of people impacted by breast cancer across the U.S. and beyond with compassion, understanding, and hope. 💜

🔗 Learn more about the NBCRT Steering Committee: https://nbcrt.org/leadership/steering-committee/

Get matched with a Mentor › Get matched with a Mentor ›

12/25/2025

✨ Happy Holidays ✨

We’re reflecting with deep gratitude on the moments of connection and compassion that define our ABCD community.

To our Mentors who generously share their lived experience …
To our Participants who come to us looking for empathy from someone who understands …
To our donors, partners, and supporters who help ensure our free emotional support is always available …

THANK YOU. We’re proud to create real, one-to-one connections that make all the difference for anyone impacted by breast cancer. 💗

The holidays can be joyful but can also bring mixed emotions. Wishing peace, comfort, and moments of hope to all this holiday season.

In 2025, more people than ever reached out to ABCD, demonstrating just how vital peer-to-peer support is. 💗As of today:✨...
12/23/2025

In 2025, more people than ever reached out to ABCD, demonstrating just how vital peer-to-peer support is. 💗

As of today:

✨ 958 one-to-one matches
✨ 1,378 people requested a Mentor, information or resources
✨ 4,790+ hours donated by our volunteer Mentors
✨ 104 new Mentors trained

Your gift directly funds ABCD’s free matching services, and Mentor training and education, expands healthcare partnerships and outreach, and empowers patients, survivors, previvors, caregivers, and people living with stage IV/metastatic breast cancer.

With just over a week left in the year, there’s still time to make a meaningful difference. Donate today or join ABCD’s end-of-year peer-to-peer fundraiser to help ensure no one faces breast cancer alone: bit.ly/ABCDAA25

One of the most meaningful moments at SABCS earlier this month was when ABCD's Ellen and Carrie attended the Pfizer even...
12/23/2025

One of the most meaningful moments at SABCS earlier this month was when ABCD's Ellen and Carrie attended the Pfizer event and saw their Amplify Humanity Quilt. This beautiful tribute weaves together the stories and voices of patients, caregivers, and advocates, including our founder, Melodie Wilson Oldenburg. 💜

Melodie was an Emmy award–winning Milwaukee journalist who transformed her breast cancer experience into a legacy of hope. After announcing her early-stage diagnosis on live television in 1992, she recognized the need for personalized emotional support and founded ABCD in 1999 with the vision that no one should go through breast cancer alone. Melodie passed away in 2009 from metastatic breast cancer, but ABCD continues to honor her legacy by offering free, fully virtual, customized emotional support for anyone impacted by breast cancer.

Seeing Melodie honored through Pfizer's Amplify Humanity Quilt was incredibly special and moving.

🔗 Visit our friends at Man Up to Cancer, who have a great photo of the full quilt on their blog: https://manuptocancer.org/blog1/pfizer-amplify-humanity-quilt

Pfizer

Join ABCD for our next LEAP Webinar on January 20 at 12 pm CT – Harnessing the Power of Nutrition: How Survivors Can Red...
12/23/2025

Join ABCD for our next LEAP Webinar on January 20 at 12 pm CT – Harnessing the Power of Nutrition: How Survivors Can Reduce Risk and Reclaim Strength 💪🏼

Alison Tierney, MS, RD, CD, CSO, a board certified oncology dietitian and the Oncology Nutrition Specialist for Tricia’s Troops Project Connect, will share why nutrition matters in breast cancer prevention and survivorship. This session will cover key, evidence-based nutrition principles for reducing breast cancer risk and recurrence, including what we can and can’t control when it comes to risk, how nutrition supports the body during treatment, ways to make nutrition sustainable, and how to view food as a powerful tool for healing.

✨ FREE, virtual, and open to all! Register to save your spot: https://abcdbreastcancersupport.org/abcd-event/leap-speaker-series-harnessing-the-power-of-nutrition-how-survivors-can-reduce-risk-and-reclaim-strength/

12/20/2025

Another incredible San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) in the books! 💗

So many meaningful conversations, new connections, and moments spent alongside patient advocates, scientists, industry leaders, partners, and ABCD Mentors.

As the largest breast cancer research meeting in the world, SABCS is a powerful space to build partnerships that move our mission forward. We’re already looking ahead to next year! ✨

12/19/2025

Hear from our very own Keeshia Jones in this video and discover The Her Collection from Rasmussen Diamonds. 🎁

Through Christmas, 10% of proceeds from The Her Collection will be donated to ABCD, helping us ensure our free, personalized emotional support is always available to anyone impacted by breast cancer.

🔗 Shop with purpose this holiday season: https://www.rasmussendiamonds.com/pages/the-her-collection

Connection is our superpower. Help us share it. 💗 By joining ABCD’s end-of-year peer-to-peer fundraiser, you help expand...
12/19/2025

Connection is our superpower. Help us share it. 💗

By joining ABCD’s end-of-year peer-to-peer fundraiser, you help expand our circle of care, connecting more people to free, one-to-one emotional support when they need it most. Invite your community to be part of this powerful work and help us spread awareness of ABCD’s services!

Create your fundraising page or donate today: bit.ly/ABCDAA25

P.S. Need help getting started? It’s easy! Check out our Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Toolkit for tips on creating your page and sharing it with your community: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15we7FNdEhXhXRxdBDTG84avOfD9vKTkdJdfqxlmzpPk/edit?tab=t.0

💚💛 We’re excited to share that ABCD has received a grant from the Green Bay Packers Foundation! 💚💛Our Executive Director...
12/17/2025

💚💛 We’re excited to share that ABCD has received a grant from the Green Bay Packers Foundation! 💚💛

Our Executive Director, Ellen Friebert Schupper, attended a luncheon today that honored grant recipients. She was joined by ABCD Mentor Patti Meyer, a Green Bay resident who has supported 49 people, a powerful example of the one-to-one connections and compassion at the heart of our mission. Ellen also had a chance to take a picture with Packers alumnus Vonnie Holliday, who spoke during the luncheon.

Thank you to the Green Bay Packers Foundation for helping us continue to provide our vital emotional support services to anyone across Wisconsin who needs us.

Packers Outreach

12/17/2025

At ABCD, our trained volunteer Mentors are at the heart of everything we do. They turn their own experiences into compassion, understanding, and hope for others. Our Mentors often say they find purpose and empowerment in giving back—proof that “Healing Through Helping” isn’t just a phrase, it’s a way forward. 💞

Your gift today ensures that when the next call for support comes in, ABCD is ready to answer with compassion, understanding, and hope.

💗Support one-to-one connections by donating or join our peer-to-peer fundraiser: bit.ly/ABCDAA25

💗 Last week, we had the joy of celebrating six incredible Milwaukee women at the 2025 Betty Awards Luncheon—including ou...
12/12/2025

💗 Last week, we had the joy of celebrating six incredible Milwaukee women at the 2025 Betty Awards Luncheon—including our very own Executive Director, Ellen Friebert Schupper, who was honored with the Standout Sister Award! Watch the feature spotlighting Ellen: https://vimeo.com/1142956271?fl=pl&fe=sh

The Standout Sister Award recognizes a woman who lifts other women up, and Ellen embodies this every single day. Since becoming Executive Director in 2017, she has guided ABCD through transformational growth while staying deeply connected to our mission and the legacy of our founder, Melodie Wilson Oldenburg: “No one should go through breast cancer alone.”

Ellen shared in her speech a principle that guides her work: “Compassion is a strategy and empathy is power.” This philosophy is evident in everything she does—supporting women, building community, and creating spaces where people feel seen, supported, and valued.

Our team was honored to be there cheering her on as she accepted this prestigious recognition. We couldn’t be more proud of all she has accomplished and the compassion she brings to our community every day.

Read more about Ellen’s impact:
https://abcdbreastcancersupport.org/abcd-executive-director-ellen-friebert-schupper-named-2025-standout-sister-betty-award-winner/

👏 Please join us in celebrating Ellen and all of this year’s remarkable honorees!

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Our Story

ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis nurtures hope and restores confidence in all those affected by breast cancer. We are passionate about building connections to create a caring community of people who really understand what it’s like to have breast cancer or to support someone who does.

ABCD was founded in 1999 by a group of women – led by Emmy-award winning broadcast journalist Melodie Wilson Oldenburg – who realized that having breast cancer is about much more than biopsies, surgery and chemotherapy. Most of ABCD’s founders are breast cancer survivors who discovered that the most valuable information and support came from others in similar life circumstances with similar experiences with the disease. Not everyone diagnosed with breast cancer knows where to find that kind of help. That’s where ABCD comes in. We provide free, personalized information and one-to-one support to patients, families and friends affected by breast cancer, from the newly diagnosed to those in treatment and on into survivorship. Our services focus on emotional and holistic support to complement medical care. Skilled intake staff actively listens to what a caller (“Participant”) needs and finding answers or solutions to her/his most pressing needs, from short-term support about appearance issues and financial management to more extensive matches between a Participant and breast cancer survivor (“Mentor”), whose specific diagnosis, life stage and concerns match their own.

Each match is carefully created to ensure a meaningful connection between a Mentor and Participant that meets the needs of the Participant and can last a long as needed; sometimes it’s a few phone calls during the treatment decision-making process and other times, matches develop into lifelong friendships. No one else – not a nurse navigator, not a helpline, or a website – provides this highly customized connection to someone who has truly ‘walked in your shoes.’

Based in Milwaukee, ABCD has trained Mentors residing coast to coast. All services can be conducted over the phone or via email, in English or Spanish, and are available to anyone in the United States or around the world. We also have Mentors who speak French, Polish, Russian, Portuguese and Ukranian. Based on the generous support of our donors, all ABCD services have been and always will be free and confidential.