NORFOLK, Va. — November 3, 2022 began as a typical day for Porsche Richardson, who was busy balancing the demands of mothering two girls and a full-time career. The day took a sudden turn when she got an unexpected call from her doctor’s office.
“It was a normal Wednesday. I’d just finished up a meeting call. And the doctor’s office called and asked if I was okay with the doctor giving me my results over the phone,” she said, assuming everything would be fine. She had been going for her annual mammograms, and they had always come back clear.
But this time, Richardson had recently felt a lump in her left breast while watching TV. At first, she said, she didn’t think much of it.
“I thought, ‘Oh, this is not [going to] be anything. It’s just [going to] be a cyst or maybe scar tissue from a previous surgery,’” Richardson said. She even put off getting it checked out.
By the time she finally went to the doctor in September 2022, it was clear that something wasn’t right. After undergoing a 3-D mammogram and an ultrasound, the results led to a biopsy the following month.
A few days later, Richardson said she received that call from her doctor.
“I went into my room because my daughter was home at the time. I didn’t want to alarm her," Richardson said. “He said, ‘You have cancer. You have breast cancer.’ It just seemed so surreal. I remember hearing the words, but they didn’t make any sense... And I just remember dropping to the floor in shock."
In the days that followed, she said that the testing and treatment process moved at a rapid speed. “I went from getting the diagnosis to five days later being in the surgeon’s office. And a month after that, I was getting my bilateral mastectomy," Richarson said.
The mastectomy also revealed cancer in her skin on the left side, which was referred to as micrometastasis, leading to a second surgery in January 2023. With these back-to-back surgeries, Richardson faced not only the physical toll of treatment but also the emotional burden of coming to terms with her new reality.
“I know this was the best and the right thing to do, but it’s a part of me that I’ve had for 40+ years,” she said. “My question was always, ‘How do you say goodbye to a part of you that you’ve had your whole life?’”
Shortly after the procedure, Richardson said that she found comfort in an unexpected place-- Here for the Girls, a nonprofit that provides support to young women diagnosed with breast cancer. Although she had never considered joining a support group before, she said that Here for the Girls became a vital resource for her.
“I always say it’s the best thing I never knew I needed,” Richardson said, noting that the women in the group offered her a space to be her true, authentic self, without judgment or pressure. “They just allowed me to be me. They understood any emotion I felt whether I was sad for no reason or just wasn’t feeling great.”
Through Here for the Girls, Richardson also became an ambassador for the organization’s 2024 calendar, which features the stories of breast cancer survivors. She said that being part of this initiative allowed her to meet and connect with other women who understand what she’s been through.
Another significant part of her journey, Richardson said, was about rediscovering herself. Before her diagnosis, she described herself as a “yes person,” always putting others’ needs before her own.
“I’ve lived my life so much for everyone else,” she said. “And I’ve learned there is so much in the word, 'no'. It’s OK for me to say it. No one‘s [going to] die from me saying no."
Richardson said her newfound sense of self changed how she approaches life. “If there’s things I [want to] do, I don’t wait for other people to say, ‘Hey, I wanted to do that' or 'Yeah, I’ll go with you.’ I just get up and I go."
Her journey, she said, also taught her the importance of living authentically. “Life is short," she said. "You never know, you know, when your time is. So, I just say, live life to the fullest."
Later in 2023, Richardson said that she was declared cancer-free on her birthday. Now, she also celebrates what she calls her “re-birthday,” marking the anniversary of the declaration. "I actually have the opportunity to celebrate what was and what is," she said.
The Here for the Girls 'A Calendar to Live By' shares the stories of survivors, provides breast health guidance and offers advice to other young women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. You can learn more about the 2025 calendar campaign and its ambassadors here. You can also make a donation or become a sponsor by clicking here.