Living with Purpose: How Gerina Turned Breast Cancer into a Life of Advocacy, Hope, and Community

A Life Shaped by Family, Faith, and Service

Some people inspire others through grand gestures. Others do it quietly—through endurance, compassion, and the way they continue showing up for the people they love.

For Gerina, that spirit was shaped early by family, faith, and the example set by her parents.

“I’ve learned that this life really isn’t about ‘you,’” she says. “Rather, we are here to live and love – and to help others.”

Born in Hempstead, Long Island, New York, Gerina moved to Kentucky at an early age when the military brought her family here. Raised by a mother who embodied “grace and endurance,” she learned early what strength looked like—not the absence of hardship, but the courage to keep moving through it.

Today, she describes herself first as a public servant, a role deeply connected to how she was raised. But beyond her career, Gerina’s life centers around family. She laughs as she describes her close-knit network including deeply loved aunts, uncles, and first cousins: “We could probably make our own reality show.”

At the center of that joy is her daughter, whom Gerina calls “the light of my life,” describing her as “a next-level extrovert.”

How Breast Cancer Shaped Gerina’s Family

Woven throughout Gerina’s family history is another reality many families know too well: cancer.

Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1986, when Gerina was still young. What followed would forever shape her understanding of advocacy, caregiving, and resilience.

“She fought for me, and my younger brother and sister,” Gerina says. “Even after being told that her treatments were experimental in nature, she wanted to fight not just for us, but for people coming after her struggling to make sense of a diagnosis and persevere.”

Her mother died in May 1991, exactly five years after her diagnosis, as doctors had predicted. She was only 45 years old.

Gerina was 21 and about to graduate from college.

Suddenly, she found herself stepping into major family responsibilities while grieving the loss of her mother and supporting her younger siblings.

“I miss her,” she says simply. “But I knew that I wanted to show up for my brother and sister as much as possible.”

That commitment to showing up—for family, for others, and for herself—became a defining thread throughout her life.

Running Toward Healing and Advocacy

Not long after her mother’s death, Gerina began running 5Ks for Susan G. Komen in her mother’s honor. Over time, those races grew into half marathons as running became both a tribute and a personal journey toward health and healing.

The determination of a long-distance runner mirrors the way Gerina approaches life itself: one step at a time, even when the road is difficult.

Her family would face cancer again when her aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. But this time, they approached treatment differently—with greater knowledge and a fierce commitment to advocacy.

“My motto has always been ‘ignorance is not bliss,’” Gerina says. “So many of us just do not want to delve into the unknown and many times it costs us our lives.”

Gerina’s Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Self-Advocacy

Then, in 2000, nine years after losing her mother, Gerina was diagnosed with breast cancer.

At the time, she was married, raising a three-year-old daughter, and completing the last year of law school.

Initially, a doctor advised her to wait six months for follow-up testing. But thanks to the encouragement of a cousin who urged her to immediately seek a second opinion, Gerina advocated for herself—a decision that changed everything.

“That’s where I met Drs. Hargis, Kelty, and Noel, and my own personal journey began,” she says.

What followed was surgery, chemotherapy, and the emotional and physical challenges that come with cancer treatment. Yet even during that difficult season, Gerina remained committed to living fully.

“From the very beginning, my journey was more than just about survival,” she says. “It was about living a healthy lifestyle – physically, spiritually and psychologically.”

She also made the intentional decision to include her young daughter in the journey instead of shielding her from it.

“My daughter was actually the one who helped shave my head before taking my first chemo treatment,” Gerina recalls. “I didn’t want her to be in constant fear…so we just dived in.”

There is honesty in the way she speaks about treatment. “Chemo was horrible,” she laughs. But there is also deep gratitude—for supportive doctors, unwavering family members, and the lessons learned from the women who came before her.

Finding Community at Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana

Years later, her path led her to Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana.

“What resonated with me about Gilda’s,” she says, “was how they embraced the idea of ‘living life’ with love, excitement, and vigor, regardless of the time we have left here on earth.”

Gerina remembers visiting the original Baxter Avenue clubhouse for the first time and immediately noticing something different.

“I couldn’t believe how they celebrated ‘quality of life’ rather than quantity of years,” she says.

That philosophy connected deeply with her own beliefs: that life is meant to be lived with purpose, hope, and love—and that quality of life matters profoundly during and after a cancer diagnosis.

Supporting Families Facing Cancer

Over time, Gerina’s involvement with Gilda’s Club grew from participant to community leader and Board member. Her experiences with cancer had taught her that families facing crisis need more than compassion alone.

“They need love, support, but they also need resources,” she says.

She believes that is where Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana makes such a meaningful difference: offering programs, services, education, and community support so no one has to navigate cancer alone.

“As a Board Member, I’ve learned that we can’t live on ‘love’ alone,” she says. “We need funding…generational funding to continue Gilda’s purpose in this world.”

Hope and Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

One of her most meaningful memories came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Gerina witnessed firsthand how Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana mobilized and adapted, continuing to support people affected by cancer during an incredibly isolating time, even delivering meals along with green light bulbs, a powerful, visible symbol of community solidarity and compassion. In Kentucky, green porch lights were used to honor frontline healthcare workers, commemorate those who died, and show isolated neighbors that “we are all in this together”.

“I still see green porch lights today, and I think about how we distributed those light bulbs which represented ‘hope,’” she says.

Celebrating 26 Years of Breast Cancer Survivorship

As of May 2026, Gerina celebrates 26 years of survivorship.

For her, hope is not passive optimism. It is action. It is advocacy. It is community. It is choosing to keep living fully even in life’s hardest moments.

“Gilda’s Club is just that—a beacon of hope,” she says. “Their programs and support help those living with cancer find a greater purpose and peace as they redefine what ‘living well’ means.”

Then, with characteristic humility, she adds:

“I am the fortunate one…to be part of Gilda’s.”

Why Cancer Support Communities Matter

Gerina’s story reminds us that self-care and self-advocacy go hand in hand with quality health care. It reminds us that support systems matter. And perhaps most importantly, it reminds us that even in the face of loss and uncertainty, life is still for living.

At Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana, stories like Gerina’s reflect the heart of our mission: ensuring that no one faces cancer alone.