Bald Ballerina's 2nd Birthday

Today Bald Ballerina celebrates her 2nd birthday. Her life began filled with hope despite getting 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. This was very hard for me to accept. I was only 23. I wondered how many years would I live? Would I be able to dance? If so, for how long? I wanted to live and to dance for a long time. I decided medical statistics would not determine how long I would live.

I learned that I would need both medical and moral support to keep the cancer at bay. So I became the Bald Ballerina. She was born to share the beauty of life with others, and to tell the world that breast cancer does not discriminate: No one is too young; No one is too fit; No one is immune from breast cancer. With your help and support, Bald Ballerina’s message spread and became a social media movement.

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 2nd year: • Grew my hair back! • Had a cosmetics product named after me: Maggie Thrive Causemetics • Launched The Turning Challenge to raise awareness & funding for metastatic breast cancer • Produced my 2nd No One Can Survive Alone benefit dance concert • Performed a duet with my dance idol Adrienne Canterna • Organized the 1st Bald Ballerina workshop • Began teaching three nights/week at local dance studios • Continued teaching master classes and speaking to young dancers about breast cancer • Became certified as a Flexistretcher teacher • Continued performing on a freelance basis • Was interviewed for blogs, newspaper & magazine articles, television & radio programs • Appeared in the  Dancers Care Foundation 2016 calendar • Spoke about breast cancer for the Dancers Care Foundation at Starbound National Talent Competition Finals • Visited Cape Cod for the first time last summer and again during a snowstorm to advocate for breast cancer for Dancing For A Cure

I can’t wait to see what is in store for the Bald Ballerina in the coming years. Thank you to everyone who has shared my journey and who made these wonderful experiences possible. I can’t begin to express how much your support means to me.