Jenn Woodward
“Cancer has changed my entire life. It was not a death sentence; it was a rebirth.”
It was on October 1, 2021, the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, when Jenn Woodward was diagnosed with both invasive and non-invasive Stage 3 breast cancer. “I thought if I just drove home and went to sleep, I would wake up and it would have just been a dream,” Jenn recalls. That day, she decided to see a friend who would make her a comforting meal. “My friend told me exactly what I needed to hear: ‘Your higher power has walked you through many things, this is just another one that you will walk through and be able to share your experience of strength and hope, just like in recovery.’”
After five biopsies, several procedures, and two lumpectomies, Jenn decided to get a double mastectomy. “I had to grieve the loss of my breasts. I choose to stay flat because breasts don’t define who I am as a woman.”
Jenn got through her toughest days with her “village of friends, family, and a survivor group,” spiritual practices, and comfort show. She says, “Just knowing I wasn’t alone gave me the strength to go through it. I had an incredible healthcare team and nurses that would sit and talk to me during treatment. I had six rounds of chemotherapy and 33 daily doses of radiation along with a port I called ‘Tubie.’ I wanted to welcome it to my body and honor it for what it was doing, so I named him.” Jenn is now on the other side of breast cancer. The summer of 2025 marked three years since she completed her last round of chemotherapy.
Today, Jenn is thriving in her yoga practice and is grateful for her body: “Each challenge led to strength, and I met my body where it was. I allowed myself to cry, get angry, sleep, and get sick. Cancer brought me into the body I was meant to always be in.” For those facing a cancer diagnosis, she recommends choosing your village and joining a survivor group. She adds, “Listen to yourself, you will know exactly what you need, and no one can tell you otherwise.”
Jenn stands up in memory of her grandmother Nana Freida Greenstein, who had breast cancer and passed of bone cancer. “She is one of my angel guides and has been with me every step of the way.”
Our Mission
Stand Up To Cancer raises awareness and funds research to detect and treat cancers with the aspiration to cure all patients. Find out how you can get involved.
