The Richmonder 25: LaDonna Lewis ensures no young woman feels alone while battling breast cancer

LaDonna Lewis was only 27 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. From that moment forward, she knew her mission was to support young women enduring the same battle she once faced.

Born and raised in Richmond, Lewis lost her mother to breast cancer when she was just 10 years old. At 23, Lewis found out she carried the BRCA1 gene — a gene which significantly increases the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and pancreatic cancer — and was diagnosed four years later.

After going through six rounds of chemotherapy and ultimately overcoming breast cancer, Lewis decided to use her experience as a source of advocacy. 

“I always felt like I wanted to do something for the community,” she said. “When I had breast cancer I had support. I had people helping to make sure I didn't miss my mortgage payments, making sure I had food, that my house was clean.”

But Lewis soon realized that not every woman going through cancer treatment had the same support system she was lucky to have.

“I joined a couple of Facebook groups, and a lot of women were like, ‘What do I need to prepare for? Because I'm going through this alone,’” Lewis said. “I can't imagine going through breast cancer alone.”

Lewis then came across one young woman’s story on Facebook. The woman, Morgan Carey, was battling breast cancer herself, and Lewis reached out to interview her and share her story. 

The interview turned into much more — Lewis ended up raising $1,200 for Carey, and hosted a celebration with Carey’s friends and family to remind her that she was not facing this journey alone.

Soon after, Lewis founded the Pink Christmas Foundation. The 501(c)(3) is dedicated to supporting women and families of women battling breast cancer under the age of 40. 

“They say to look out for breast cancer from ages 40 and up … but I was 27 when I went through my journey,” Lewis said. “Breast cancer doesn't just happen at 40 and above. It happens before, but there's not enough people talking about it.”

Each December, the Foundation hosts the annual Pink Christmas Brunch, inspired by the initial fundraiser for Carey. The Foundation selects a fundraiser recipient each year for that December’s Brunch. 

Lewis often focuses on mothers to support them during the Christmas season. Carey, now a member of the Pink Christmas Foundation Board herself, explained that a lot of pressure falls on young mothers at Christmas time.

“Christmas does not wait for cancer,” said Carey. “But if you're going through chemo and all of the emotional struggles that come along with dealing with any type of cancer, you're not thinking about shopping. You don't have the energy to shop, but you still care about what's provided to your children.”

Each year, Lewis shares a gift list for the mother’s children, allowing community members to claim specific presents they would like to purchase. Through these donations, the Foundation and the Richmond community ensure the children get to experience the joy of Christmas.

With the help of sponsors and funds from ticket sales for the Brunch, the Foundation is also able to provide young women financial assistance for the costs of treatment, childcare, or any other related expenses.

Since the first fundraiser for Carey, Lewis and her team have hosted three annual Pink Christmas Brunches. The most recent fundraiser recipient, Jerkesha Petty, was diagnosed with breast cancer last year when she was just 38 years old. 

At the time, Petty was out of work on short-term disability, as she was completing chemotherapy and was about to start radiation treatment. Then, she received a call from Lewis telling her the Foundation was going to sponsor Petty’s daughter for Christmas.

“I think I was down to 60% of my paycheck, and so of course that takes a big chunk when you have to pay bills and you have to buy presents for Christmas,” Petty said. “LaDonna came in, and that was very helpful to me.”

In addition to her work as founder of the Pink Christmas Foundation, Lewis works as a Realtor full-time. She also serves as a member of the Massey Alliance Young Professional Board. The Board aims to bring awareness to and raise money for research at the VCU Massey Cancer Center. 

Looking forward, Lewis has several aspirations for the Pink Christmas Foundation’s future. Lewis hopes to soon launch the Pink Anchor Fund, which would help women pay for medical bills, fund Christmas gifts for their children, or assist with any costs they may have while enduring their cancer journeys.

“The reality is, a lot of people can't work through treatment, but the bills won't stop,” Lewis said.

In all, Lewis hopes to extend Pink Christmas’s reach across hospitals — she wants as many young women as possible to know about the resources the Foundation offers and the support system available to them.

Carey emphasized the passion Lewis brings to everything she does, whether serving on the Massey Board, helping clients as a Realtor, or organizing the annual Pink Christmas Brunch each December.

“LaDonna is a very special person. When she has an idea, she goes after it,” Carey said. “The people are at the center of her ‘why,’ and that's super important — she leads with her heart.”

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