Britten Witherspoon

Shortly before her 42nd birthday, Britten Witherspoon found a gumball-sized lump on her breast, which a biopsy later revealed to be Stage III, Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Britten’s treatment included chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and reconstruction; but, in some ways, the hardest part began after that. “As hard as treatment was, somebody was always checking on me. But things dropped off once treatment ended. Emotionally and psychologically, it was one of the hardest parts. You can’t function very well when you’re scared all the time.”

In need of support, Britten turned to Pink Lemonade Project. Through the years, she’s attended support groups, a weekend retreat, walks, the annual Girlfriends Run and a host of in-person and virtual events. “I went to my first Zest group (for young survivors) and I just loved it. We can talk about cancer, but we don’t have to. We understand each other in a totally different way.”

Britten also attended a Pink Lemonade Project retreat before COVID, which she says was life-changing. “It was really powerful to be surrounded by women for a whole weekend who supported and listened to each other. I felt safe sharing really emotional, really personal things with people who understood and could empathize.”

Nearly three years out from her diagnosis, Britten remains active with Pink Lemonade Project, paddles for Catch-22 (a dragon boat team), and enjoys life with her husband, two teenagers and two dogs.