At 26, and a new mother, Nadia Miller’s dreams were typical. She wanted a big family, a career and hoped to one day travel the world. Then life—and her dreams—abruptly changed.
“I was at that invisible stage in life. I was planning a family. I just bought a new home. My career was going well. And then, ‘You have breast cancer.’”
Nadia was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. She underwent a year of chemotherapy, bilateral mastectomy and tested positive for the BRCA1 gene. As a result, she came to understand something she did not have to consider before—the importance of breast cancer research.
Now she sees how pivotal it is—not just for her, but for her daughter and women everywhere. And she’s especially grateful for the Vera Bradley Foundation’s support for breast cancer research at IU School of Medicine.
“It truly impacts people’s lives— mine and those abroad,” she said. “I am evidence of what research can do and will do. It’s lifesaving and life changing.”
Nadia’s dream these days goes far beyond herself and her family. Nadia is an advocate for marginalized women and has become a voice to empower women globally to participate in research and become active in their overall health care. She dreams of a world where a breast cancer diagnosis is simply no big deal.
“I was really deep in thought recently about what it would be like if a breast cancer diagnosis was not any more devastating than the diagnosis of a common cold. Simple therapy or medication and back to life, family, and career. That’s my dream.”
