I jumped at the opportunity to help develop and grow the Bryan Blossom Foundation, as nutrition and health are topics near and dear to my heart. For more than 20 years, I successfully have used nutritional science and herbal medicine to heal myself of different breast cancers. Every day, I strive to live the mission of this organization.

In 2002, I was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer at age 27 and while 38 weeks pregnant. My husband and I used our training as social scientists to dive deep into cancer treatments, including those not considered part of the standard-of-care model. This led me to work with an integrative medicine cancer clinic where I completely transformed my diet and made other dramatic lifestyle changes. I also began taking an intense herbal medicine treatment protocol that was tailored to my specific cancer and my individual biomarkers.

Having previously had a diet filled with processed foods and sugar and low in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, I converted my diet and reaped the benefits immediately with more energy, vitality, and most importantly, more health! Many of us can recall times when we ate poorly, and how it made us feel, such as being tired, having difficulty focusing, or experiencing physical discomfort. Conversely, a nutritious meal leaves us feeling energized and satisfied. Preparing our own foods can itself be a healing, meditative, and joyful process, especially when we share it with others.

With decades of research, organizational, grantmaking and analytical experience, I am so excited to work alongside other similar minded souls to create a foundation whose goal is to help more people experience the benefits of improved nutrition and health.