Judy Fitzgerald, Community Contributor

Judy is a retired middle school teacher who taught both in England and at Catholic Schools in Rhode Island. She holds a dual degree in Chemistry and Education from Providence College. While teaching, she taught most years as a fifth grade teacher. Science was her specialty.

Judy was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2009, and had a double mastectomy the same month. Following surgery, she learned by extensive reading and networking with survivors, that diet, nutrition and lifestyle changes were key elements in achieving long-term success. Judy also discovered these were not subjects oncologists were eager to discuss since there no accepted medical protocols for these areas. Doctors merely recommend that breast cancer survivors eat a healthy diet; but she found that there’s much more to it than that.

Judy’s book, A Teacher’s Journey...What Breast Cancer Taught Me, explores these issues and is a heartfelt journal of her diagnosis, surgeries, and treatment, as well as lessons learned from research into diet and lifestyle changes made by long-term survivors. Her vision for this book is to share what she learned, as well as raise awareness that more research is needed in these areas to insure future success in the battle against breast cancer.

In October of 2011, Judy and her family founded Sisters4Prevention. Their mission is to support research focusing on prevention. At present, all proceeds from her book are supporting the Pink Vaccine breast cancer vaccine project at the Cleveland Clinic Learner Research Institute under the direction of Dr. Vincent Tuohy.

In 2015, Judy was chosen by Ford Motor Company to be a “Warrior in Pink” and continues to be extremely active in the Breast Cancer Community. Her passion is the Prevention of breast cancer.