HER Stories: Family of breast cancer survivors forms support group to provide resources, build community

This story first appeared in HER Stories 2025, an annual special section that features Eastern Iowa women who have experienced powerful paths of achievement for themselves, their families and their communities.

When she learned about her breast cancer diagnosis, Cathy Ketton already knew it was coming.

However, her doctor told the Waterloo, Iowa, woman he could not find the lump two times.

“I knew I felt a lump in my chest. When it was confirmed, I was not shocked. I made an appointment with Mayo Clinic and the Cancer Treatment Center in Waterloo,” Ketton said.

Her diagnosis in August 2022: non-invasive ductal carcinoma in situ, stage 1-2 triple negative breast cancer.

Ketton’s assumption that she had breast cancer did not come without an unfortunate family history.

The now 60-year-old’s mother died from breast cancer metastasis in 2003 at the age of 63. Then, both her daughters were diagnosed with it. Her youngest, Niisha Horton, was diagnosed in 2006 when she was only 21, followed by her eldest daughter, ShanQuiesha “Shae” Robinson, in 2007 when she was 25.

“When [my grandmother] had breast cancer, she never talked about it. She lived her life like she didn't have cancer,” said Horton, a 40-year-old wife, mother and entrepreneur. “I didn't know anyone who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. No shared experience that I could depend on.”

Much like her younger sister, Robinson did not know anyone with breast cancer prior to Horton’s and her own diagnosis.

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“I was just 25 when I heard the words no one ever expects: you have breast cancer. At that age, I didn’t know anyone my age who had walked that path, except my younger sister,” said Robinson. “The loneliness of that season was heavy. I longed for a space where I could be seen, understood and supported by others who truly got it.”

“It happened just two weeks before I was set to graduate from the University of Northern Iowa,” Robinson recalled. “I walked across that stage with a quiet strength, knowing my next steps wouldn’t be toward a career or continued studies like many of my peers but toward surgery, then chemotherapy.”

At home, her daughter was only three.

Robinson started attending meetings with a local breast cancer support group in the hopes of finding that connection. However, she quickly realized she was one of the youngest in the room.

“That absence spoke volumes. It stirred something deep in me,” she said.

One day, she turned to her mom and asked, “What if we created something different? Something that made sure women of color didn’t have to walk this journey alone?”

That question became their calling: Splash of Color Breast Cancer Support Group was born. They describe it as a space rooted in sisterhood, strength and the belief that no one should face breast cancer in isolation.

“For many women of color, speaking openly about our health — especially something as life-altering as cancer — can feel like crossing a line we were taught not to approach,” Robinson said, an 18-year breast cancer survivor. “There’s a quiet discouragement, a cultural silence, that often keeps our stories tucked away. I wanted to change that.”

Splash of Color created a space where women of color could find community.

“SoC was born out of that desire to remind every woman of color facing breast cancer that she is not alone, and that her story matters,” Robinson said.

The support group unexpectedly prepared Ketton for what was to come.

“Ladies that shared their stories in our meetings also gave me additional tools to put in my arsenal not even knowing I would use at a later date,” Ketton said.

Her daughter’s leadership inspired Ketton to step out of her comfort zone, sharing her family’s breast cancer journey as a speaker at a health care summit. From there, Ketton was asked to join breast cancer panels through groups like the Iowa Cancer Consortium.

“One of the things we’re most proud of is the advocacy work SoC has carried out to uplift and support women in our community,” Robinson said. “We’ve been able to offer scholarships that help ease the financial weight many women carry during treatment.”

She uncovered a troubling pattern in the process. Many women, especially women of color, weren’t being fully informed about their treatment options or the resources available to support them, Robinson said, and vital information was either missing or delivered in ways that felt “distant and overwhelming.”

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According to the American Cancer Society’s “Breast Cancer Facts and Figures” report for 2024-25, Black women have a 5 percent lower breast cancer incidence than White women but have a 38 percent higher mortality rate due to later diagnosis and “less access to high-quality treatment.”

“We wanted to equip women to truly understand their diagnosis, to ask the right questions, and to feel confident in the decisions they were making about their care,” she said.

SoC scholarships are more than just assistance, Robinson said, but also a reminder that someone sees you, believes in you and wants to walk beside you.

“It’s our way of saying: you’re not alone. We’re here, and we’re fighting with you,” she said.

Early detection, Ketton believes, was key in her diagnosis and recovery.

“I know my body. There was a change that did not go away. I had to follow through until I received results,” she said.

Ketton is candid about how isolating the experience can be for women of color.

“After attending a support group, I noticed there were very few women of color. I knew we were being affected by breast cancer, too, but we weren’t showing up, or maybe we didn’t feel we could stay,” she said. “That realization made it clear: we needed a space where women of color could feel seen, supported and not alone.”

That’s where SoC has made such a meaningful impact.

“Now, my mom’s leadership and advocacy have helped so many women,” Horton said.

Robinson encourages women who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer to find a circle of support: “People who truly see you, who listen without judgment, and who can hold space for your journey with empathy and grace.”

SoC is always looking for donations of financial support to keep its program and outreach going.

“Having SoC allowed me to be able to speak up and let my voice be heard in order to help someone else,” Horton said, adding her hope is to help more applicants not be worried about lights, food, rent and medical bills.

“Going through breast cancer is stressful. Not having to worry about a past due bill could lessen your stress,” she said.