Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Gallagher.
Hi Amy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! I am a married mom of two busy kids, (ages 8 & 14), love traveling with my family, and and work in non-profit. I have a passion for helping those diagosed with breast cancer due my own family history with cancer experiences.
When I was 32, I was prompted by my physician to be tested for a mutation in the BRCA1 gene due to a family history of breast and ovarian cancer on my paternal side. When the results came back positive in March 2017, I was 32 years old and had a difficult decision to make for my health path going forward. Due to the positive BRCA1+ result and my family history combined, I had almost a 90% chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer in my lifetime. I chose to have a risk-reducing prophylactic bilateral mastectomy and a full hysterectomy with oophorectomy in May and June 2017. This path has not been an easy one, and I have had multiple surgeries since 2017 due to complications, but I also know it could be much worse and I am grateful for the science and research that has been done in genetics so that this choice was possible for me to make. As a previvor (someone who has made the decision to have prophylactic surgery), I now see my breast surgeon once per year for regular breast exams and to address any questions or concerns. Having an extensive family history with cancer has been both challenging and devestating, as we have lost many relatives to cancer of all types. Witnessing different cancer diagnoses and losses in my family has shown me to be more aware of the social and emotional empathy and compassion that is necessary in the work that I do today.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Choosing the path of prophylactic surgery has not always been easy and I now realize I was unprepared for the emotional and physical changes that I would endure due to my surgeries. When I made the decision to undergo a bilateral mastectomy, I was confident I was making the right choice for myself. Being a young mom, I was hoping to avoid a cancer diagnosis if I could help it, and this was the way to all but ensure that. Although it was 100% the right decision for me, it has not been without its challenges.
The other side of having a BRCA1+ gene mutation is the high risk of ovarian cancer, so I also had a full hysterectomy with oophorectomy 6 weeks before my bilateral mastectomy. What I was unprepared for was sending my 32-year-old body into full menopause at such a young age. There are people that adjust really and have few complications from this surgery, I, unfortunately, was not one of them. It took me months for the nausea to subside and years until I felt back to “normal.” I am fortunate that I am able to use a Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) medication, as many women that have breast cancer cannot use anything after they are done with treatment and this does provide me some relief in the estrogen level depletion.
The main struggle that I have had over the last 6 years is not an easy topic by any means. Body Image. Unfortunately, menopause changes our bodies, no matter what age we begin menopause. This was something I was not prepared for and after speaking with many women that have been impacted by both breast cancer and surgical menopause, it is something that some of them also struggle with as well. For myself, I have found that having little to no control over the way your body changes can be frustrating, depressing, and sometimes even embarrassing. At Firefly and other breast cancer groups, I have heard from many women like myself who are relatively healthy, work out with cardio and weights, maintain a healthy diet, etc., and are still not feeling like it is helping them get “back to themselves.” It is also a topic that is hard to discuss, as many women are grateful they are done with treatment or, like myself had the choice to become a previvor so it sometimes feels wrong to complain about my body image when I know it could be much worse. Part of this journey as a previvor, is learning to deal with the challenges and side effects of the decisions and how to accept them.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am the Executive Director of Firefly Sisterhood. Firefly Sisterhood is a breast cancer nonprofit that fosters one-to-one connections between women diagnosed with breast cancer and inspirational survivors and thrivers that serve as their Peer Mentor Guides. At Firefly Sisterhood, we exist to bring light and hope to women on their breast cancer journey. Our unique community and mentoring program fosters connections that extend the patient’s support network beyond the family and medical community to include amazing women with shared experiences. Firefly’s supportive services are free and delivered at the time of diagnosis, during treatment, and into survivorship. With Firefly Sisterhood, no woman faces a breast cancer diagnosis alone.
Throughout the year, Firefly offers 24 trainings and events throughout the Twin Cities (in-person, virtually, and hybrid) on a variety of topics within breast cancer, survivorship, wellness and nutrition, and more. We partner with different breast cancer organizations, healthcare professionals, healthcare systems, and bring other topics that are of interest to our program participants each year. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with breast cancer, I encourage you to reach out for one-to-one peer support at Firefly Sisterhood. Firefly has an amazing group of 175 active volunteers (breast cancer survivors and thrivers) that dedicate their time to support women newly diagnosed. Our support network extends beyond Minnesota, and we are proud to say that we are able to support women coast to coast. Firefly Sisterhood has a small, but mighty team of three staff (myself, Melissa and Genna) that work to provide emotional and social support to those impacted by a breast cancer diagnosis and we are grateful to our Firefly community for supporting our mission.
Besides my work with Firefly, I also serve on the Young Leadership Council at the Basser Center for BRCA at UPenn. I find the balance between working with a place that offers supportive services and those that conduct studies and research is incredibly important, and I am fortunate to be able to volunteer my time with other organizations that are important to me too. My driving force for supporting those impacted by cancer is the collective goal of Firefly and ensuring that no woman faces their diagnosis alone.
Who else deserves credit for your story?
Wow, there are numerous people that deserve credit and have supported me along the way in this journey! My family has been incredibly supportive, and I owe much of my success to them. My husband, Paul, has not only been my biggest advocate for the work I do in supporting those with breast cancer, but has also done an incredible job in ensuring that our two children also are involved in philanthropy and learn the importance of helping and supporting others. Philanthropy is an important part of my life, and one of the things I am most proud of is sharing this with our children.
My parents, in-laws, and our siblings have also supported us along the way as we started with our first golf outing in 2018 raising $36,000 for breast cancer research (BCRF), to last year’s gala event with Firefly Sisterhood that sold-out with 360 people. Whatever the ask is, my family has been there to support both myself, and more importantly, those with breast cancer. For them, no ask is too big, and they have been there every step of the way since that inital phone call with the BRCA1+ diagnosis in 2017. None of this would have been possible without the support of my family.
Much of the success also goes to the friends and family that volunteer their time at the countless events the past 6 years. They are always there to join a committee, lend a helping hand, or volunteer with anything else that is needed. I would have never imagined that having something like a BRCA1+ diagnosis would lead me to this point in my life, but the people I had met along the way, and those I had already known that have stepped up year after year and supported me, the events, the fundraising, and those with breast cancer is so inspiring. It is truly humbling to be amongst such a wonderful and dedicated group of people, and I am honored to be a part of it. Working with volunteers is truly my favorite part of nonprofit work – at any organization or event. They truly are the heart and soul of the work and that statement rings true to this amazing group of people too.
Professionally, Firefly Sisterhood is incredibly fortunate to have a dedicated staff and group of women serving on the Board of Directors that have been supportive of my role and of the women in the Firefly program. They uphold the values of Firefly Sisterhood, its program, and the mission and it is inspiring to watch them work together to further the mission.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fireflysisterhood.org
- Instagram: @amy_fireflysisterhood
- Facebook: @fireflysisterhood
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-e-gallagher
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2LQmoYcQCTCnLd7OfhDKJg
Image Credits
Cassie Fitzke and Piercen Haehnel
