BRYAN, Texas — The 18th annual Surviving & Thriving breast cancer awareness luncheon Thursday afternoon inside the Hilton College Station & Conference Center featured keynote speaker Lori Allen who is a breast cancer survivor and co-host of Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta and Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids.
Allen said coming to speak about breast cancer awareness in the Brazos Valley was a no-brainer.
“Finally, somebody has got the courage enough to start with breast cancer events again because, in October, I travel all over the United States and Canada, doing breast cancer events last year, there were none,” Allen said, “I'm like, you know, we need to start this back so I was really thrilled to be able to be asked to be able to come here.”
For Thursdays Surviving & Thriving luncheon, Allen said she felt like women who attended wanted to hear her story of survival and how she thrived after breast cancer.
“I'm the perfect girl for this because I have done nothing but thrive after my breast cancer,” Allen said, “I did have to survive getting through it, I'm not going to, you know sugarcoat, like, oh yeah, it was just a wonderful time in my life, I mean it was horrible and I never want to go through breast cancer again, if I can keep from having it again.”
She said she’s thrived since having breast cancer and her life has gotten better since.
Allen said she wants people to walk away with the fact that in the age of COVID-19, one in eight people will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
“Someone that's very healthy and works out, you know, didn't really have any problems [can be diagnosed with breast cancer], and you could be that face too so we cannot skip these mammograms, we have to get back to taking breast cancer,” Allen said, “Seriously.”
Click here to find a place to get a mammogram near you.