Jennifer Mabini
“Cancer taught me that taking care of myself is not selfish and to be kind to myself.”
In March of 2024, Jennifer Mabini was 41 and a busy working mom of two when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “When I first heard the news, it was more of a confirmation,” says Jennifer, who had four other family members diagnosed with a form of cancer, two before her own diagnosis and two after. “I had given myself a self-examination, and that’s when I felt a large mass on my right breast. I knew right away it was something,” she recalls. “I was mad at myself for not doing self-examinations or getting a mammogram sooner.”
Jennifer’s treatment included chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, removal of three lymph nodes, and immunotherapy. At the start of it all, she received valuable advice from a co-worker. “He told me it’s okay to feel however I wanted—that there is no right or wrong way to feel,” she explains. “It was exactly what I needed to hear, to allow myself to be okay with taking a leave of absence. To not feel obliged to work and to focus on myself. That decision helped me make some changes to finally take care of myself.”
Before her diagnosis, Jennifer was constantly thinking about others—juggling her two children’s activities, school events, work responsibilities, and the needs of family and friends. “I was always putting everyone else first and myself last,” she reflects. “I finally slowed down, took deep breaths, and reflected in prayer and stillness.” She took a leave of absence from work and started prioritizing her well-being—embracing meditation, practicing yoga, taking daily walks, and making meaningful changes to her diet.
Jennifer was able to ring the bell in April of 2025 and is now cancer-free. She credits her family as her ‘why.’ “Looking through my pictures and albums of my family gave me joy during treatment, and that feeling gave me strength to keep going, keep fighting, and stay with the treatment plan.” She feels lucky to have had so many loved ones’ support during her journey and gives special thanks to her husband. “He’s my number one supporter. He handled caregiving duties and took on everything around the house. We were able to spend more time together, got closer, reconnected, and strengthened our marriage—in sickness and in health.”
She encourages others facing a diagnosis to advocate for themselves and to use their network: “I reached out to people I didn’t even know—friends of friends—just to hear about their experiences. Listening to their journeys opened my eyes to different options and even sparked questions I hadn’t thought to ask my own doctor.”
Jennifer stands up for “anyone who is living with cancer, no matter the type. For anyone who has lost someone to cancer and for all the caretakers of patients. We are all affected by cancer!”
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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.
