Ryen’s Story: Self Care and One Step at a Time
At 36 years old, Ryen was living a life she loved. She and her husband were raising two active children in Estacada, Oregon, where weekends often meant paddleboarding, hiking, rock climbing, or simply enjoying the beauty of the outdoors. She poured her heart into her work as Director of STEM and Curriculum for Todos Juntos, a nonprofit serving children and families through after-school programs, literacy, robotics, coding, and hands-on learning.
Cancer was something Ryen knew existed in her family history. Both of her grandmothers had been diagnosed with breast cancer, as had several aunts and cousins. But because they were older when diagnosed—and because Ryen was well under the recommended age for routine mammograms—she never imagined she would become part of that story so soon…..at age 36.
Then, on New Year’s Eve, everything changed. While adjusting her bra, Ryen felt a large lump. It was alarming enough that she went to urgent care the very next day. That decision would ultimately save her life.
The lump she had found turned out to be a benign cyst. But during the imaging, doctors discovered something far more concerning on the opposite breast: invasive lobular carcinoma. Even more startling, the cancer appeared in three separate areas and was growing aggressively. “It was really just luck,” Ryen says. “If I hadn’t found that cyst, they wouldn’t have found the cancer.”
Although genetic testing revealed no known breast cancer mutations, Ryen’s family history weighed heavily on her decision-making. She didn’t want to spend years wondering if the cancer would return or face repeated surgeries while trying to raise her children.
She chose a double mastectomy. “It just made sense for me,” she explains. “I wanted to do what gave me the best chance of getting back to my family.” Within weeks of her diagnosis, she was in surgery.
The whirlwind that followed wasn’t easy. Healing complications delayed reconstruction by several months. One incision refused to close, requiring ongoing wound care while she waited for her body to heal enough for implant surgery. The physical limitations were frustrating. She couldn’t paddleboard with her children. Rock climbing was off the table. Even simple movements remained painful as her body recovered.
“It has been a different summer,” she says. Instead of outdoor adventures, the family found quieter ways to spend time together—baking fresh bread, making mint tea from the garden, and embracing slower moments that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.
Throughout her treatment, Ryen remained determined to protect her children. Rather than allowing fear to take over, she focused on what came next. “When I’m in a crisis,” she says, “I just think, ‘What’s the next step?’ I treat it like a to-do list.” That steady mindset became one of her greatest strengths. She also discovered that support sometimes comes from unexpected places.
Her husband has been her constant—gentle, reassuring, and unwavering through every surgery, appointment, and difficult day. Close friends, an aunt, and supportive coworkers surrounded her with compassion. Her nonprofit employer made space for every medical appointment and every unexpected need without hesitation.
“I’ve been incredibly grateful,” Ryen says. “They’ve made it possible for me to focus on getting well.”
She also found comfort in connecting with other women navigating breast cancer through local organizations and support groups. Simply hearing someone else’s story reminded her she wasn’t facing this journey alone.
Cancer also reshaped something even deeper. For much of her life, Ryen considered herself a people pleaser. Like so many women, she often put everyone else’s needs ahead of her own. Not anymore.
“This year I’ve learned that it’s okay to put myself first,” she says. “It’s okay to be a little selfish while you’re healing. That lesson has become one of the greatest gifts hidden inside an experience she never wanted.
She hopes her daughter grows up seeing that caring for yourself is not selfish—it’s necessary. She wants other women to trust themselves if something feels wrong, even if they’re younger than the recommended screening age. Most of all, she wants women to know they don’t have to walk through cancer alone.
“Find your support network,” she says. “There are so many people who understand what you’re going through.” Pink Lemonade Project provided Ryen some much needed financial relief.
Today, Ryen looks ahead to her final reconstruction surgery with hope. There are still hormone therapies to continue and healing ahead, but she feels the hardest part is beginning to fade behind her.
Cancer changed her plans. It changed her body. It changed her perspective. But it didn’t change who she is.
She is still the mother teaching her children resilience. The educator inspiring curiosity through science and creativity. The woman who finds joy in simple moments and believes positivity is something we choose, especially on the hardest days. “If you focus on the things you can control,” Ryen says, “and hold on to the little joys, you’ll get through it.”
For Ryen, those little joys—and the people who helped carry her there—have made all the difference.
