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With no family history of breast cancer, the thought of it wasn’t always present for longtime Winchester native Maureen Easterling. 

However, that changed one day when she was at the young age of 47. 

During a self-examination, Easterling noticed a lump and – following consultation – was given a diagnosis. 

“I was diagnosed in November 2010,” said Easterling, noting that she was diagnosed with Stage 2B invasive ductal carcinoma with HER2 positivity. 

Upon hearing the diagnosis, it didn’t take Easterling long to consider what was important. 

“I initially thought, ‘I have three children,’” she said. “My oldest was starting her freshman year of college at Georgetown, our middle one was in middle school…and then my youngest was going to be in fourth grade.” 

Determined to improve, Easterling – like so many others diagnosed with breast cancer – took on a harrowing journey. 

“I chose to have a bilateral mastectomy, and I was on chemo for six months,” she said, referring to chemotherapy. “There’s a drug called Herceptin, which they had just found through clinical trials that helped take away the positivity of the HER2 gene that I had.” 

Easterling further elaborated on the HER2 gene. 

“The HER2 gene is the gene that causes your cancer to become very aggressive,” she said. “Mine had spread to two lymph nodes within six months of the lump being found.” 

After six months of chemotherapy and a year’s worth of time taking Herceptin, Easterling continued her journey by taking medication for ten years. 

Fast forward to 2024, and Easterling is now cancer-free. 

However, she seeks to make others aware of the condition through advocacy. 

“I have spoken at different organizations regarding what you can do to know your body and knowing there’s not always [obvious] signs for cancer,” she said. “I didn’t feel bad or anything. I just found a lump.” 

Easterling’s family has become involved in advocacy as well. 

Her daughter, a former pageant contestant, even incorporated it into her candidacy. 

“Her social impact initiative was called [the] ‘Feel the Bump’ campaign. We put signs all over Winchester,” she said. “We participated in breast cancer walks [and] anything like that to raise awareness.” 

While noting that working with other organizations—as she has done through the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation—is beneficial, Easterling also noted ways to help others directly.

 “If there’s someone that you know, you can reach out…[by] taking their kids to school, driving them back and forth to treatments, [or] doing anything like that just to help ease their load.” 

Easterling humbly noted that it’s important to keep all those in mind who have battled breast cancer. 

“I don’t like to say that ‘well, I fought cancer [and won].’ For some people that had cancer and…didn’t make it, it’s not because they didn’t fight hard.’” she said. “It’s not easy, and that’s why people need to see that others have made it through.” 

Easterling hopes to continue making a positive impact through her work. 

“I just [hope] I live my life daily promoting positivity and helping people in their everyday life to look for the positive in a negative situation,” she said.