Print Orders Are Now Open for Our 61st Issue!
THRIVING
Vol. 11, Issue No. 4
August / September 2026
A woman sits in the Walmart parking lot, sobbing so hard she can't catch her breath, then returns to that same parking lot a year later and notices, for the first time, how far she's come. Another flies to Chicago weeks after surgery, bruised and swollen, still in compression garments, and watches a whole concert leaning on a rail. And another, elbow-deep in damp soil at dusk, traces goutweed roots through the earth, realizing she can’t tell where her fingers end and the roots begin.
This is our Thriving issue. Thriving, it turns out, looks nothing like what anyone promised. It looks like standing at the rail at a Bikini Kill show with MBC. Like naming your cancer brand "Killer Tits Club" during chemotherapy because it made you laugh and gave you back a feeling you thought was gone. Like going from wanting a sign on your forehead that says this isn't the real me — to slowly, quietly, not needing it anymore. Like reaching the five-year mark and feeling proud and guilty and grateful all at once. Like finally saying: I'm well enough.
Thriving is a collection of essays and poetry from writers at every stage, in every season of the young breast cancer experience. Not one of them has arrived anywhere yet all of them are fully, stubbornly here.
“I made the choice to stop merely surviving and start living again.”
Paper Copy Dimensions
111 full-color pages on premium paper
Book size: 4.25” x 5.5”
Limited Print Run Only! Print copies available for order only until Aug 31, 2026.
Available as a dynamic digital download starting August 29th, 2026.
Our unique storytelling and thoughtful design put us in a category of our own.
The Thriving issue is for you if...
You don't want to be told you're brave. You just want someone to tell the truth about what this is actually like.
You've come off medication and realized you have no idea what your body feels like without it.
You live with metastatic disease and are tired of being told what thriving is supposed to look like.
You've felt a paradox of mixed feelings and didn't know that was allowed.
You've built something new out of the wreckage — a business, a practice, a community, a name — that made you smile when nothing else did.
You long to stand in front of the mirror and say something kind to yourself again.
You know what it feels like to hold your breath through scans.
You're still in the middle of it and you're not sure the other side exists, but you're here anyway.
Wildfire Journal is not your typical cancer magazine. Below you’ll find a sampling of real pages from within this beautiful book-ish issue.
“I’d like to think that this is just the beginning of an adventure so big, so bold, so joyful.”
Underwriter Support Provided by:
After Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD) | AnaOno | iRise Above Foundation | Liv & Let / Giv Shoppe | Rethink Breast Cancer
Meet Guest Editor & Cover Star
MJ DeCoteau
What I noticed about so many of the stories in this Thriving issue is that whether you’ve completed active treatment or are in ongoing treatment, thriving is an ongoing evolution, one that is a bit of a revolution through reinvention.
For many, thriving after diagnosis means finding yourself again and living in the here and now, and not simply trying to fit yourself into the mold of the pre-cancer version of you.
It means holding multiple truths and letting go of many things, including things you might feel pressured to make excuses for or apologize to family and friends for. It means letting the tears flow. It means writing a love letter to yourself and the life you’re building now.
This issue is a beautiful, raw love letter to the broader community. We see you. We love you. And we want you to thrive in whatever way that looks like right now. ~ MJ, founder of Rethink Breast Cancer
The “Thriving” Writers
The storytelling approach we take in each issue of Wildfire is deeply community-driven. Our contributors are young survivors, thrivers, and fighters, writing from inside the experience—not looking back from a comfortable distance. Each piece is curated to foster connection, validation, and a sense of belonging, ensuring that when you pick up Wildfire, you see reflections of your own fears, hopes, and transformations.
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Lydia Amaral
Aspiring writer, travel lover, and operations director for a boutique HR firm. Diagnosed in 2024 at 39. IDC, Stage IIa, ER+, PR+, BRCA2, BRIP1, RAD51B. Current Lines of Treatment: Exemestane and Ribociclib (in a clinical trial).
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MJ DeCoteau
Founder of Rethink Breast Cancer.
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Diandra Denier-Fields
Scientist, writer, and founder of Cancer Free Haven. Diagnosed in 2012 at 23. Papillary thyroid cancer. Diagnosed in 2022 at 33. IDC, Papillary Carcinoma, Stage IIIa, ER+, PR+. Diagnosed in 2025 at 37. Stage IV, Triple Positive, FANCM mutation. Current Lines of Treatment: Enhertu, Perjeta, Verzenio, Letrozole, Lupron, and Zometa.
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Jessica Doig
Executive producer for multimedia experiences within museums. Diagnosed in 2024 at 49. IDC, Stage III, ER+, PR+, also has a pathogenic variant in SDHAF2 and is at increased risk for tumors related to Paraganglioma-Pheochromocytoma (PGL-PCC). Current Lines of Treatment: Letrozole, Abemaciclib, Zoladex, and Zoledronic Acid.
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Aoife Glavin
Admin assistant currently on long-term disability. Diagnosed in 2022 at 33. IDC, Stage IV, HER2+, BRCA2+. Current Line of Treatment: Enhertu.
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Carolyn Herbst
Writer, professor, reiki master, and shamanic practitioner. Diagnosed in 2020 at 44. IDC and DCIS, Stage Ia/IIb, ER+, PR+.
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Lauren Izzo
Former attorney, professional cancer patient, metastatic breast cancer advocate, writer, mother, and wife. Diagnosed in 2022 at 44. IDC, Stage IV, ER+, PR+, ESR1 mutation. Current Lines of Treatment: Orserdu and Verzenio.
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Claire Lemiski
Airline captain. Diagnosed at 36. IDC, Stage III, ER+, PR+. Current Lines of Treatment: Zoladex and Exemestane.
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Lauren Lopriore
Stay-at-home parent, founder of Liv & Let and Giv Shoppe and Pound Fitness instructor. Diagnosed in 2015 at 29. IDC, Stage III, Triple Positive.
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Meghan McCallum
Freelance writer and French to English translator. Diagnosed in 2018 at 32. Stage III, IDC, Triple Negative.
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Alexa Meyer
Killer Tits Club founder. Diagnosed in 2025 at 33. IDC and DCIS, Stage I, Triple Positive, CHEK2+. Current Lines of Treatment: Herceptin and Tamoxifen.
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Erin Perkins
Stay-at-home parent, Young Breast Cancer Project working board of directors. Diagnosed in 2021 at 34. IDC, Stage II, Triple Negative.
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Nina Poletti
Diagnosed in 2025 at 40. IDC, Stage IV de novo, ER+, PR+. Current Lines of Treatment: Kisqali, Letrozole, Zoladex, and Zometa.
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Mia Purdy
Lifestyle photographer. Diagnosed in 2020 at 36. IDC and ILC Mucinous Carcinoma, Stage I, ER+, PR+.
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Mara Ramirez
Business owner and patient advocate. Diagnosed in 2021 at 38. IDC, Stage II, Triple Negative.
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Kate Rowbotham
Professor and assistant dean. Diagnosed at 47. Inflammatory, Stage IV, HER2+, BRCA2, VUS.
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Jasmine Sikand
Lead of Communications, Content and Community at Rethink Breast Cancer.
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Janelle Slavik
Stay-at-home mom and pottery teacher. Diagnosed in 2010 at 24. IDC, Stage II, ER+, PR+. Diagnosed in 2012 at 26. Stave IV. Current Line of Treatment: Halaven.
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Alison Beder Solway
Author, fitness professional. Diagnosed in 2025 at 54. IDC, Stage I, ER+, PR+.
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Lauren Blue Tucker
Poet. Diagnosed in 2023 at 40. IDC, Stage IIIc, Triple Negative.
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Naomi Zittell
Diagnosed in 2025 at 45. IDC, Stage III, ER+, PR+. Current Lines of Treatment: Zoladex and Letrozole.
Order Your Copy! Print or Digital
Paper Copies: Print copies available for order now thru August 31st, 2026.
111 full-color pages on premium paper
Book size: 4.25” x 5.5”
Digital Copies: Available as a dynamic digital download starting August 29th, 2026.
At Wildfire, we are challenging the sterile, pink-washed narratives of traditional breast cancer media.
Each issue is a beautifully designed, book-quality collection of raw, moving, and visually rich personal essays, reflecting the reality of survivorship in all its complexity. By elevating the stories of those who have been marginalized in mainstream cancer conversations, we foster connection, advocacy, and a lasting legacy of truth-telling.
Our design philosophy is artful, immersive, and editorially rich. We blend evocative photography, bold typography, and modern layout design to create a reading experience that is both literary and visually compelling. This attention to aesthetics elevates the deeply personal narratives, reinforcing that breast cancer stories deserve the same level of artistry and care as any major literary publication.
Happy reading (and writing!).
— April Stearns, Founder & Editor-in-Chief
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