What happened, in summary

Cookie Joe was diagnosed with Stage III triple-negative breast cancer in April 2021. Rather than letting the diagnosis define her, she decided to look for ways to turn the experience into something useful for others. At MD Anderson, Cookie joined the ARTEMIS clinical trial for triple-negative breast cancer. Her tumor shrank, but not as much as her care team wanted, so the trial treatment was stopped and her plan changed. She moved to a stronger chemotherapy regimen, then underwent a double mastectomy followed by radiation therapy. Cookie also used her experience to encourage participation in research, especially among women of color. Through the dance school she founded, she shared her treatment journey publicly, prompting some community members to schedule mammograms. She later raised money for cancer research and organized blood drives for MD Anderson. Cookie has been cancer-free since December 2022. She continues to view advocacy, fundraising and blood donation as ways to give meaning to what she went through and to support people still moving through breast cancer treatment.