According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. it just so happens these two Vermont women were diagnosed with almost the exact same kind of breast cancer.   

Meet Julie and Liz, two women with almost the exact same kind of cancer who became friends through a difficult circumstance.   

Julie said she remembers the phone call of her being diagnosed just like it was yesterday.  

“I got a call from the technician saying that i had breast cancer and so i remember that  vividly because I was at work and I got that call. it was difficult, but the thing is you can either take a look at it as this is a death sentence which I knew it wasn’t or you can turn it into a more positive thing and so I chose to do the positive thing,” said Julie Jones.

Jones then decided to create a team through the american cancer society for making strides against breast cancer, her team being Team Julie.   

It wasn’t until a local community development manager at the American Cancer Society decided the two women should meet and come together as one team.  

Both Julie and Liz were diagnosed with stage one breast cancer grade three just months apart.  

Liz said she was told her cancer wasn’t as aggressive, but the results said other wise.   

“The biopsy came back and after the lumpectomy and it was grade three which is the most aggressive so that meant and I knew exactly what that meant and it meant chemo. I think it was a really hard realization that I was going to lose my hair for one thing and its one of my best features I always thought,” said Liz Kiggen.

Each of them took dealing with the loss of hair in the matter of their own hands. Liz went online and found an individual that made wigs out of the patient’s hair, Chemo Diva based in Tampa, Florida.  

Julie decided she wanted to go a different and creative way by painting her head each week something different. Both women continued to work during their treatments as they didn’t let their diagnoses define them.  

“I’ve always looked at life a little differently because i grew up with a nurse, my mom was a nurse and she was able to always say enjoy life to the fullest, ” said Julie.

They are looking for individuals to join the team if you are interested in joining or donating please go to Team Julie.