Strength She Never Knew

Every 14 seconds, someone is diagnosed with breast cancer, making it one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in the world, second only to lung cancer, and the leading cause of cancer-related death among women globally. And, while a cancer diagnosis can be devastating for anyone of any age or gender, one group faces a particularly unique and complex set of challenges: young working mothers. It’s a reality that Irish patient Aisling O’Brien knows all too well. Aisling spent most of 2023 undergoing numerous rounds of treatment—including breast-conserving surgery right before the winter holidays—all while parenting three young children. “I'm slowly getting back to what is now my new normal,” says Aisling, now that she’s through treatment and cancer-free. “It's given me a lot of perspective. I don't sweat the small stuff. I don't get nervous about things anymore, because what's the worst that could happen?  It's shown me that I have a strength that I never knew I had.” It helped that Aisling had a medical oncologist who was there to support her and her family every step of the way: Dr. Michaela Higgins. A two-time Conquer Cancer grant recipient based at St. Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, Dr. Higgins has led numerous clinical trials for patients with breast cancer, helping to advance new treatments and cures. In this Your Stories episode, Aisling and Dr. Higgins join host Dr. Mark Lewis for a conversation about the many challenges that come with balancing motherhood and breast cancer, along with the promising future of breast cancer research and care.