Congratulations to Tracie Metzger for winning the 2007 Pink Football Award!

Tracie was thirty years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had two small children ages three and eleven months.  She found the lump during a self-breast exam when her daughter stopped nursing.  After visits to the OB/GYN and breast surgeon, they told her it was probably a clogged milk duct or a fibroadenoma.  She was told to wait a few months to see if it went away.  She wasn’t comfortable with that and insisted on surgery.  When the lump was removed, it was malignant.  Invasive ductal carcinoma, Stage I breast cancer – September 8th, 2000.

After going through six months of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy with reconstruction, she decided to do something to help other young women.  Along with the help of two other young survivors, she co-founded Pink Ribbon Girls, a support network for young women diagnosed with breast cancer, in October 2001.  Pink Ribbon Girls are young breast cancer survivors who are encouraged by their shared experiences to educate and inspire others to grow and live beyond breast cancer.  Today there are over 300 women who are Pink Ribbon Girls.  Visit them online at www.pinkribbongirls.org

Tracie spends her time focusing on educating the public and raising awareness about young women with breast cancer through public speaking.  She resides in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband and four children.

Other Awards and Recognition:

• 2003 - Recipient of the first annual American Society of Plastic Surgeon’s “Patients of Courage Award”
• 2003 - Recipient of the Breast Cancer Alliance’s “Award of Hope”
• 2006 - Published author of new book, The Voices of Breast Cancer, The Healing Companion: Stories of Courage, Comfort and Strength, edited by The Healing Project

Click here for the 2005 Pink Football Award Winner - Cathy Halloran

Click here for the 2006 Pink Football Award Winner - Toni Mimms