Meet Tracie

Patient / Survivor Wheaton, Illinois

Tracie's Story

I was diagnosed one month into a new marriage with plans of living abroad. Instead of romance and travel, we were scheduling surgeries and chemotherapy. I knew what this road looked like, and how it can end. I watched my sister lose her battle with melanoma at 29 years old. This made it especially difficult when I received a stage IV diagnosis Jan. 2016, in the scan that was supposed to give me clearance to go back to work and start my life again, but instead I got more surgeries and chemotherapy. Instead of putting my life on hold, I'm fighting back not just with chemotherapy but by living my life to the fullest. Since my diagnosis I've been lucky enough to travel to Australia, Germany, Austria, Montenegro, Serbia, and Croatia. And I'm not done.

Tracie's Advice

Be your own advocate. Your survival depends not just on your doctors or care, you need to play a key role.