Bald Ballerina's 9th Birthday

Today Bald Ballerina celebrates her 9th birthday! Her life began filled with hope despite a very poor medical prognosis: stage 4 metastatic breast cancer that had spread to the sternum, spine, and pelvis; median life expectancy 2-3 years; no cure on the horizon.

Over the past 9 years, I learned that I would need both medical and moral support to keep the cancer at bay. Becoming the Bald Ballerina helped me find that support. It also helped spread my message that cancer does not discriminate: No one is too young; No one is too fit; No one is immune from breast cancer.

On this 9th Birthday, cancer is again active in my body just as when Bald Ballerina was born in 2014. But since then, the cancer spread to my lungs in 2020, my liver in 2021, and my brain in 2022. I am just as hopeful now as when I was first diagnosed. I am in the 9th month of my new treatment and hope that it will work for many years.

I am very grateful to everyone who has followed my journey and supported me with encouraging messages, prayers, suggestions, and donations. I treasure and appreciate them all. With your continued support and prayers, I hope to have many, many more years of living and dancing.

Here are some of the highlights of Bald Ballerina’s 9th year:

· Produced my 8th annual No One Can Survive Alone concert where I gave my farewell performance.
· Held a No One Can Survive Alone workshop
· Was the 1st patient to appear on Mercy Medical Center’s Medoscopy video program
· Was interviewed live on WJZ-TV13's CBS News Baltimore
· Was interviewed by Denise Koch on Behind the Lens on WJZ-TV13.
· The Baltimore Sun wrote a story about my 8th No One Can Survive Alone concert
· Keynote speaker at the Breast Cancer Awareness-Cumberland Valley Survivors Dinner
· Designed earrings for Silpada Jewelry’s LBBC promotion
· Spoke at @starboundcomp Orlando Finals
· Visited Disneyland on a trip given to me by The Tamron Hall Show
· Featured in Tigerlilly Foundation Magazine My Life Matters
· Was a guest on Tigerlilly Foundation’s Breathe TV
· Won 3rd place at the George Alston novice handling competition
· Earned AKC Performance titles: 5 with Momma Mia and 6 with Kennie
· Invited to Industry Dance Awards in Los Angeles
· Taught at Dance Masters of America Ch 17 workshop


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