Chris Miller
Manager, Claudia Mayer / Tina Broccolino Cancer Resource Center

A mother of three under the age of 5 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, Chris Miller was shocked but not surprised. Her mother is a breast cancer survivor and grandmother died from her breast cancer, a fact that led her to start regular self-exams and mammograms at an early age.

When her diagnosis was confirmed, Miller’s sister researched area cancer resources and discovered the Claudia Mayer/Tina Broccolino Cancer Resource Center. After she learned that she was going to lose her hair because of chemotherapy treatments, the center provided the support and assistance Miller needed to prepare herself mentally and physically. “The center helped to ease my fears and anxieties,” she explains. “A cancer diagnosis is overwhelming, because there are so many unknowns. The center staff were integral in helping me put the pieces together and make a plan. I met with the stylist, who recommended I get my hair cut short prior to losing it.” She also purchased a wig and a halo, which is a hat/wig combination.

Miller found a lump in her breast during her regular self-examination and was originally diagnosed as stage 0; but after a double mastectomy, she learned she was stage 3 with seven lymph nodes involved and would need chemotherapy and radiation. Following her treatments, she donated her wig and halo back to the center.

She was so appreciative of the center that when the position opened for manager of the center, she applied and received the job. Miller is proud to use her own experience to help guide others through their cancer journey.

Miller’s sister, who led her to the center in the first place, received her own breast cancer diagnosis in 2020. This time, it was Miller who was looking out for her and she was in the right place to do so.