Forever in our Hearts

Yesterday I lost a good friend and comrade, Nancy Cappello.  There are not enough words to describe such an amazing woman.  Nancy’s loss to the breast imaging community, to every woman she saved from aggressive breast cancer, and to each heart she touched, is beyond imagination.  Nancy was diagnosed this September with Myelodysplastic Syndrome, as a result of her chemotherapy treatments 14 years ago for her late stage breast cancer. Nancy’s accomplishments during those 14 years are more than most can hope to achieve in a lifetime.  As a resident of Connecticut, Nancy championed the first ever dense breast notification law in our state. Currently there are 36 states that now have the notification law in place, thanks to the perseverance and tireless efforts of Nancy. The thousands of lives saved, due to early detection of breast cancer by means of breast ultrasound or MRI, in patients with dense breast tissue, can be attributed to Nancy’s never ending fight to let the patient be their own advocate.  I am honored to have known Nancy, to have given lectures with her, to have attended many “Are You Dense?” events, and to have been named her breast “Champion” in 2016. While Nancy can never be replaced, all of us who loved and supported her will be here to continue her fight. One day, the entire United States will be “Pink” with notification laws. Nancy, you will be dearly missed, but your memory will live on in present and future generations.