 ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis

A 41-year-old with no prior health issues or family history of breast cancer was diagnosed with de novo metastatic breast cancer.

In February 2016, Angie*, then 41-years-old with no prior health issues or family history of breast cancer, was diagnosed with de novo metastatic breast cancer after experiencing back and rib pain. This term refers to breast cancer that has already spread to other parts of the body at the time of initial diagnosis.

The diagnosis was stunning, especially since her most recent mammogram had been clear. Angie's immediate concerns centered around her mortality and the future of her young daughter. Her oncologist initiated treatments to block and suppress the hormones driving the cancer, to which she responded well, maintaining stable disease for nearly seven years.

Seeking support, Angie joined an online group for women with Stage 4 breast cancer, finding solace in shared experiences. In 2023, at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, she discovered ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis and its customized peer support. Encouraged by Executive Director Ellen Friebert Schupper, Angie trained to become a an ABCD Mentor, completing her training in early 2024. By December 2024, she had been matched with 11 Participants, highlighting the significant need for support among metastatic patients.

Angie observes that many breast cancer support groups emphasize curing the disease, which can be isolating for those with Stage 4 cancer, where the focus is on managing the disease. “I think for the metastatic community, we’re kind of more in the shadows and not talked about as much,” Angie says.

Through her experience as an ABCD Mentor, Angie addresses the prevalent fear among Participants by sharing her experiences and offering reassurance, aiming to bring metastatic breast cancer out of the shadows and into broader awareness.

 about finding - and then giving - support and how she’s living with hope, even when facing the news that her disease has progressed. 

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Angie, diagnosed with de novo metastatic breast cancer at 41, found solace in online support groups and later became an ABCD Mentor. Despite her initial shock and concerns about her mortality and her daughter's future, she responded well to hormone-blocking treatments, maintaining stable disease for nearly seven years. Angie highlights the isolation felt by Stage 4 cancer patients due to the focus on curing rather than managing the disease. As a mentor, she aims to raise awareness and provide reassurance to others facing similar challenges.

In February 2016, Angie was diagnosed with de novo metastatic breast cancer after experiencing back and rib pain. 

Angie’s Impact Story: No Longer in the Shadows – Spreading Awareness About Metastatic Breast Cancer

Melodie Wilson Oldenburg announced on live television she had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992.

In 1992, Emmy award-winning Milwaukee broadcast journalist Melodie Wilson Oldenburg announced on live television she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. At a time when cancer — especially breast cancer — was rarely discussed openly, Melodie chose to use her public position to speak out about her personal experience with the disease.

She started to receive letters and calls from people she had never met. They too had been diagnosed with breast cancer and wanted to provide hope and guidance by sharing their personal experience with her. Melodie quickly realized the benefits of emotional support but recognized a tremendous gap in care — too many people lacked resources and access to quality, personalized support.

Leaving her extraordinary career in 1998, she brought together breast cancer patients, survivors, physicians, clinicians, and caregivers to launch ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis on June 15, 1999, with the founding vision: 

“No one should go through breast cancer alone.”

Since its founding days, ABCD has always been singularly focused on providing FREE, one-to-one emotional support to anyone impacted by the disease. Our signature service is creating a unique match between someone who needs support and an ABCD Mentor who not only shares a similar diagnosis and treatment plan, but also has similar ages, common interests, personal characteristics, career paths, and family dynamics. No one else — not a helpline, website or even caring family and friends — can provide customized non-clinical emotional support like ABCD can.

How ABCD Provides Free Customized Support

ABCD offers free emotional support services to empower anyone impacted by a breast cancer diagnosis — people currently in treatment (“patients”), people who have completed treatment (“survivors”), people living with stage IV/metastatic disease (“thrivers”), people who are at high risk of developing breast cancer because of their genetics (“previvors”), as well as family and friends.

Anyone who needs support can visit ABCDBreastCancerSupport.org, email info@abcdmentor.org, or call (800) 977-4121. After you contact us, you’ll hear from one of our Match Specialists who will take the time to get to know 

, so we can match you with a Mentor who knows what you are going through. 

ABCD Mentors are volunteers who are previvors, breast cancer survivors at least one year past completing their breast cancer treatment (with the exception of hormone replacement therapy), living with MBC, or a friend, family, or care partner of a breast cancer patient. Every Mentor is vetted and interviewed by ABCD staff and then participates in comprehensive training to learn how to provide emotional support.

In 25 years, more than 902 Mentors across the United States have been trained and, because all services are delivered virtually, ABCD has proudly served more than 110,000 people from New York to California, Alaska to Florida, Australia to Sweden. ABCD Mentors donated more than 3,395 hours of emotional support services in 2024 alone.

Moving into the next 25 years, demand continues to rise as more people than ever are diagnosed with breast cancer or are living with MBC. ABCD will always be here — ready and able to provide hope, compassion and understanding when people need it most.

People’s lives are turned upside down and inside out after a breast cancer diagnosis. Through the power of ABCD’s one-to-one support — and the vision of Melodie Wilson Oldenburg — no one needs to go through it alone.

Melodie Wilson Oldenburg, a Milwaukee journalist, publicly shared her breast cancer diagnosis in 1992, highlighting the need for emotional support. She founded ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis in 1999 to provide free, personalized, one-to-one emotional support for those affected by breast cancer. ABCD matches individuals with trained Mentors who share similar experiences, offering support to patients, survivors, thrivers, previvors, and their families. Over 25 years, ABCD has trained 902 Mentors and supported over 110,000 people globally, with demand for their services continuing to grow.

In 1992, Milwaukee broadcast journalist Melodie Wilson Oldenburg announced on live television she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. 

ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Angie’s Impact Story: No Longer in the Shadows – Spreading Awareness About Metastatic Breast Cancer

ABCD Has Inspired Hope and Transformed Lives For 25 Years Through Its Customized Emotional Support for Anyone Impacted by Breast Cancer

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