Sheila McGlown was a mother, wife and 25-year veteran of the United States Air Force.
She was diagnosed with de novo metastatic breast cancer (mBC) at the age of 43. For Sheila, the fight against breast cancer went beyond her personal battle with the disease: her mother passed away from mBC in 2004. After her diagnosis, Sheila retired from the military and became active within the breast cancer community.
In 2013, Sheila joined Living Beyond Breast Cancer's Youth Advocate Volunteer outreach program. This program provides resources and training to help young women use their personal experience living with breast cancer to make a difference in their communities by raising awareness, educating about the disease and advocating for support. Sheila was recognized by Living Beyond Breast Cancer with their 2017 Hear My Voice Award for the advocacy work she did that supported people living with mBC.
Sheila was a gifted writer and opened up about her mBC journey in a way that touched many people’s lives. In sharing how she hopes to be remembered, she stated:
“I laugh at myself sometimes because I don’t even know what to call myself anymore: Unicorn, survivor, thriver, living with mBC, or just Sheila. Some days I am all those things. Although I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, I do know I want to be remembered as Sheila. Just Sheila. I don’t want to be remembered as a survivor, Veteran, wife, mother, friend, or daughter. I want people to say, dang - the party just isn’t right without Sheila! Or advocacy isn’t right without Sheila. I just want to be Sheila.”
Sadly, Sheila passed away from mBC on April 19, 2024, at the age of 57.
Sheila McGlown was a mother, wife and 25-year veteran of the United States Air Force.
She was diagnosed with de novo metastatic breast cancer (mBC) at the age of 43. For Sheila, the fight against breast cancer went beyond her personal battle with the disease: her mother passed away from mBC in 2004. After her diagnosis, Sheila retired from the military and became active within the breast cancer community.
