About PRG | BOARD MEMBERS
- Tracie Metzger - President and Co-Founder
- Dawn Harvey - Co-Founder
- Karen Dziech - Vice President
- Banita Bailey - Treasurer
- Ellen Skalski - Membership Director
- Kathy O'Leary - Secretary
Tracie Metzger was 30 years old when she was diagnosed and had two children ages three and eleven months. She found the lump during a self-breast-exam when her daughter stopped nursing. After visits to the OB/GYN and breast surgeon, they told her it was probably a clogged milk duct or a fibroadenoma. She was told to wait a few months to see if it went away. She wasn’t comfortable with that and insisted on surgery. When the lump was removed, it was malignant. Stage I Breast Cancer, September 8th, 2000.
Dawn Harvey found the lump on her 34th birthday when her son was two and her daughter was four months old. Just two months earlier at her eight week postpartum visit, the lump was not detected by her doctor. She went to her OB/GYN that day and he told her it was probably a clogged milk duct or a cyst, and to have it rechecked in a month. Her visit to the breast surgeon followed and he told her it was probably a fibroadenoma because it didn’t feel like cancer. When the lump was removed, it was malignant. Stage II Breast Cancer, October 3rd, 2000.
Banita Bailey was 29 years old when she was first diagnosed and her only daughter was three years old. She found her lump during a self-breast exam but did not get diagnosed for over one year. After her needle biopsy confirmed the tumor was malignant, she had a lumpectomy on March 30, 1998 followed by chemotherapy and radiation treatments. At the age 36, Banita decided to have prophylactic bilateral mastectomy with breast reconstruction on January 25, 2005. After the mastectomy, she was surprised to receive a second breast cancer diagnosis. Stage II Breast Cancer, March 30, 1998. Stage 0, Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS), January 25, 2005.
Kathy O'Leary was 32 years old when she rolled over in bed one night, only to feel a large hard lump on her right breast. After a mammagram and needle biopsy her fear was confirmed, Stage 3b Breast Cancer. After 12 rigorous chemotherapy treatments, 30 radiation treatments and a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. Kathy is now cancer free! She discovered the Pink Ribbon Girls early in her diagnosis and has been an active member ever since.
Ellen Skalski
was 24 years old when she found a lump – accidentally, while watching television. It was Halloween night 2001. She didn’t give it much of a second thought. Why should she? She was a young, healthy 20-something with no significant family history for breast cancer. At the insistence of family, however, she went to see her family doctor for an opinion.
Karen Dziech was 38 years old when she was diagnosed and was married and had two children ages 7 and almost 9 years old. She found the lump during a self-breast-exam because she was feeling pain. After visits to the OB/GYN and subsequent Mammogram and Ultrasound she was referred to a breast surgeon. The surgeon immediately did a core needle biopsy and the results were identified as cancer. When the lump was removed, it was malignant. Stage II Breast Cancer, February 4, 2002.