Breast Cancer Warriors

Five women who are changing lives & raising awareness

Linday Avner


Breast cancer was stalking Lindsay Avner’s family. The dreaded disease had taken the lives of her grandmother and great grandmother just days apart. And two days after graduating from the University of Michigan, Lindsay learned that her mother had tested positive for the breast cancer gene.


“Watching the women in my life go through this made me look my own mortality in the eyes,” says the River North resident. “It was an underlying anxiety that I had lived with my entire life. And when you’re young and high risk, you can ultimately develop a deep resentment towards your breasts.”


Yet, Lindsay was committed to take control of the situation that genetics had handed her. After testing positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation that placed her risk of developing the disease at 85 percent, she opted for a preventative double mastectomy in 2006. And now, as the founder and executive director of the breast and ovarian cancer awareness nonprofit Bright Pink, Lindsay is helping thousands of women find the confidence to take control of their health.


“Our generation of women in their 20s and 30s are very solution-oriented,” explains Lindsay. “They want to know their risk, figure it out and move on. They’re not afraid to ask the tough questions. And unlike generations before us, there are tools out there that allow us to take back control of our health.”


Founded in 2007, Bright Pink is the only national non-profit organization with an exclusive focus on prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in high-risk young women. Specifically focused on educating women ages 18-45, the organization has now become a national movement, with over 25,000 members and 10 chapters throughout the country.


“A majority of our girls don’t have cancer and are living beautiful rich lives,” says Lindsay. “But for some, their high risk of cancer is something they want to take control of.”


Bright Pink’s somewhat edgier attitude takes the breast cancer standbys of shower cards and pink ribbons and transforms them into programs such as Underwire Alerts, a once-a-month text message service that reminds women to stop and spend a few minutes focusing on their breasts. (Sample text might read ‘your boyfriend isn’t the only one who should be feeling you up’). The organization also recently unveiled a line of ZoN Fitness products, sold exclusively at Sports Authority stores.


“We’re committed to taking awareness and turning it into action,” explains Lindsay. “It’s exciting to be able to stand behind a line of products that helps people incorporate exercise into their life.”


Bright Pink’s next Chicago event is Be Bright Pink, Thursday, October 7 at Hard Rock Hotel Chicago. For more info, check out www.bebrightpink.org.

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