‘The Day You Called, You Saved My Life’: How One Mom, 32, Turned Her Breast Cancer Into a Sisterhood
How single mom Sherri White beat breast cancer and built a sisterhood to ensure no woman fights alone
Key Takeaways
- At 32, single mom Sherri White faced a rare, devastating breast cancer diagnosis.
- After enduring cancer alone, Sherri vowed to ensure no woman ever felt abandoned.
- Sherri founded My Sister’s Keeper so no woman has to fight cancer on her own.
As the doctor spoke, Sherri White felt as if she were in someone else’s body. Breast cancer? It was too much to take in. She was so young—just 32—and had no family history of the disease. But most frightening of all…Sherri was a single mom of three.
What if something happens to me? Who will take care of my children? Sherri’s mind reeled. She’d never felt more scared or alone.
Now, after winning her battle, Sherri White created a sisterhood of survivors to offer strength and hope to women fighting the disease. Here, she shares her story with Woman’s World.
From facing death to fighting back
“It’s never a good time to be told you have cancer. But my diagnosis came right before Christmas of 2011. While the rest of the world was celebrating, I was planning for a premature death. I got my affairs in order to make sure my three children—twin girls Madison and Makenzie, 7; and my teen son, Torrean—would be provided for. Then I got ready for the fight of my life.
“In January of 2012, I underwent a 14-hour surgery to both remove and reconstruct my right breast, using tissue from my stomach. Then, to help prevent a recurrence, I endured six rounds of chemotherapy.
“During the ordeal, I felt isolated. Friends and family meant well and tried to be there for me, but many of their comments just weren’t helpful. They’d say things like, ‘God has a reason for giving you cancer.’ And, ‘God is going to heal you if you pray hard enough.’ Others treated me with pity. Worst of all, some people shared horror stories about women they had known who had died from breast cancer.
“Feeling they were doing more harm than good, I stopped confiding in people and endured the painful journey alone. But I knew that’s not the way it should be for cancer patients. I realized the problem was if you haven’t been there, you don’t understand. You can’t speak to something you don’t know.
“Blessedly, my surgery was a success, and I was declared cancer-free. My life went on, but I couldn’t stop thinking about all the other women out there still fighting…alone. I need to do something to help them, I decided.
Building a sisterhood of survivors
“In 2018, I founded My Sister’s Keeper, a Cleveland-based nonprofit that brings women with breast cancer in the region together for uplifting support and a sense of camaraderie.
“Through My Sister’s Keeper, new patients are paired with ‘big sisters,’ who have survived cancer. The organization offers support services like monthly ‘sister soiree’ meetups, where members participate in activities like art therapy and meditation. No one leaves with a tear. With us, when you leave, you’re coming out laughing and hugging.
“We hold weekly prayer groups online and offer assistance with paying bills. My Sister’s Keeper also includes fun annual fundraisers, like the ‘Pretty in Pink’ fashion show. At the show, women — and men — with any type of cancer strut their style and get a much-needed confidence boost.
“Today, My Sister’s Keeper has expanded to help women with all types of cancer in Cleveland and beyond. We now help more than 100 women at any given time and have about 40 volunteers. I, myself, am a big sister. One of my little sisters, Ursula, was going through a divorce when she was diagnosed and said her friends had disappeared. She told me, ‘The day you called, you saved my life.’ That is so powerful and motivating.
“I’m trying to help women maintain their sense of self and not to get lost in the journey. I want to create an environment where people say: ‘If she got through this, so can I. She had cancer and look at her!’”
Childcare, soirees and support: How the nonprofit helps women heal
Since its start, My Sister’s Keeper has blossomed — finding new, tender ways to help women not just survive treatment, but truly heal in the months and years that follow.
One new initiative, Waiting Room Watchers, provides trained childcare companions in hospital waiting areas so mothers can receive cancer treatment without worrying about who will care for their children. The program began in Cleveland and expanded to Oklahoma City, addressing a barrier that can keep mothers from getting the care they need. The organization has also developed Healing in Color, a coloring book that encourages women to process the emotions surrounding a diagnosis, and The Practice of Becoming, a guided framework to help survivors rediscover themselves after cancer.
The sisterhood is growing with chapters developing in Oklahoma and South Carolina. Through its annual A Walk in Her Shoes community event, My Sister’s Keeper brings resources directly into neighborhoods while celebrating cancer warriors and the people who support them. And in February 2025, Sherri premiered A Warrior’s Walk, a documentary capturing the confidence, friendships and personal transformations that unfold as participants prepare for the organization’s Pretty in Pink Warrior Coronation Gala.
For Sherri, these efforts reflect a deeper understanding of what it means to survive cancer. “I once thought surviving cancer was the finish line,” she says. “I now understand that survival and learning how to live beyond cancer are two very different experiences.”
Through My Sister’s Keeper, she hopes to ensure women never have to navigate that journey alone. The goal is not to erase what they have experienced or dictate how they should heal, but to create a place where they feel seen, supported and empowered to discover who they are becoming.
Finding hope, support and assistance
If you are dealing with a cancer diagnosis, there are many organizations and resources, like My Sister’s Keeper, that can help you during your journey. Here are just a few…
Find a listening ear
The American Cancer Society offers a 24/7 hotline (800-227-2345) that you can call and speak with a trained cancer information specialist or a volunteer cancer survivor. They provide information, guidance and compassionate listening.
Boost self-esteem
If you are losing hair from chemotherapy, wigs can be very expensive. Reach out to EBeauty (EBeauty.com) for assistance. The nonprofit refurbishes thousands of donated wigs every year and provides them for cancer patients who are struggling with medical hair loss.
Get help with finances
A cancer diagnosis and the resulting treatment can be a financial burden. Many cancer-focused nonprofits can provide financial assistance, and the PAN Foundation (PANFoundation.org) helps underserved people afford the medications and treatments they need.
Have a little fun
Enjoy gentle hobbies during treatment like reading, knitting and origami. Or find support and laughter with a community online that can relate to you by joining Facebook groups of women with cancer—like “Cancer Survivors and Supporters” or “Surviving Cancer.”
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