Breast Cancer: Loriana's Survivor Story

What happened, in summary

Loriana was a high-profile news anchor in Austin, Texas, doing national fitness and medical stories when her own health changed. While trying to have a second baby, she dismissed warning signs and was misdiagnosed twice before using professional connections to get to Johns Hopkins. There, doctors confirmed acute myeloid leukemia, or AML. Treatment took her away from her then 2-year-old son for about 1 year. The first treatment did not work well enough, so she needed full-body radiation and a bone marrow transplant. Because she is Latina and had no other registry match, her sister became her donor. Five years to the day after that transplant, Loriana was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her doctors thought the breast cancer may have been related to the full-body radiation or to donor DNA from her sister, who was also dealing with breast cancer. The long recovery left Loriana with chronic pain, depression, and PTSD, but it also pushed her deeper into advocacy. She began teaching patients to build a “pit crew,” with specific people assigned to child care, bills, meals, updates, and practical support. She also emphasizes second opinions, financial navigation, transportation, child care, and asking providers direct questions. As of February 2024, Loriana was surviving after 2 separate cancers and using that experience to amplify the patient voice.