Help Heather Raftery Submit Cancer

My name is Heather Raftery and I am a social scientist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach.

In May 2025, I discovered that I have breast cancer. As far as cancer is concerned, it's the best of a worse case scenario. I have what's called DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), which means that the cancer cells are contained in the milk ducts and have not yet invaded the rest of the tissue. Because we caught it early enough, I'm considered Stage 0.

My outcome is looking very good, but because there are multiple sites, I am likely going to have to have mastectomy. I will not know until I meet with the surgeon and oncologist what the exact plan with be; whether I will also need radiation and/or chemotherapy. My fervent hope is that I will not, but I will do what is necessary to ensure that it will not come back.

Nobody plans for cancer. It's a disease that doesn't care who you are. My entire life I've believed myself invincible, until I discovered that I am not.

I am not one to ask for help, but in this case, I will need it. And if all you can give are positive thoughts and kind words of encouragement, I will take those, too.

I will fight this.