advocacy – Urban City Podcast Group

Breaking the Silence: Male Breast Cancer Survivor Larry Roberts Inspires Awareness and Action

Mari Michelle — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 03:10:33 +0000

Major Takeaways:

Larry Roberts’ journey highlights the urgent need for awareness that men can develop breast cancer too.
Early detection and speaking up about symptoms can save lives by removing stigma and encouraging timely care.
Larry’s resilience and advocacy transform personal survival into a broader mission of education and empowerment.

Breaking the Silence: Male Breast Cancer Survivor Larry Roberts Inspires Awareness and Action

When you picture breast cancer, most people see women’s faces, pink ribbons, survivor walks, mothers and daughters arm in arm. But Larry Roberts, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and lifelong athlete from Iowa, is breaking that picture wide open.

In September 2023, Larry noticed something unusual. “I wasn’t expecting a breast cancer diagnosis,” he recalls. Yet that’s exactly what came, and it came fast. “Everything was happening so quickly, like I was in a blender,” he said. “I could tell from the reactions of the doctors that cancer seemed to be the road we were heading down.”

It was the kind of moment that could shatter a man’s sense of self. Larry had spent decades on the softball diamond, active and fit, proud of his energy and endurance. The idea of having breast cancer, something rarely discussed among men, didn’t fit the image he’d always carried of himself. “I wasn’t a big ‘go to the doctor guy,’” Larry admits. But that choice to get checked changed everything.

In December 2023, he underwent a right-side mastectomy and the removal of nine lymph nodes. Two tested positive for cancer. Treatment followed: chemotherapy, radiation, the full gauntlet. He finished his last round on March 27, 2024.

“During chemo, surgery, and radiation, my one goal was to get back to normal,” he said. “But I soon realized nothing is normal after cancer.”

That realization wasn’t defeat. It was a turning point. “Getting back to doing what I love, playing softball and golf, was like a carrot dangling in front of me. It kept me going.”

Larry’s genetic tests came back negative for BRCA mutations, but his curiosity and awareness grew. “It was a relief that my cancer wasn’t genetic,” he said, “but it makes you wonder how you got the short end of the stick. I try not to dwell on it.”

Instead, Larry turned his focus outward. With his wife’s encouragement, he created a Facebook page to keep friends and family updated through treatment. “At one point, we were getting so many calls that my wife suggested we post updates online,” he said. What began as a way to share progress became something much deeper, connection. He met other survivors, men and women, and began to see his story as a bridge for awareness.

In April 2024, Larry spoke at the annual MercyOne Breast Cancer Symposium as part of the survivor panel. His message was simple but urgent: men get breast cancer too. “I never felt like cancer was going to be the end of me,” he said. “I always tried to view it as only a speed bump in my life.”

That outlook became his rally cry. According to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, fewer than one percent of all breast cancer cases in the U.S. occur in men. Yet many men don’t know they’re at risk or feel embarrassed to bring up symptoms. “Men can get breast cancer too,” the Foundation states. “They may not tell a doctor because they’re embarrassed or worried.”

Larry’s story cuts right through that silence. “If you feel something, don’t wait,” he urges. “Don’t let the word ‘too tough’ stop you. Get checked, get care, ask questions. That’s how you turn the speed bump into a marker of what you’re still capable of.”

Even as his treatment ended, Larry’s mission continued. He returned to softball and golf, slower at first, but with renewed gratitude. He still posts updates, sharing not just his recovery but reminders to other men to stay aware and proactive.

“I treat the diagnosis as an impetus, not a defeat,” Larry says. “It’s about helping make visible the often overlooked reality of male breast cancer.”

His story is proof that survival isn’t just about treatment. It’s about transformation. Larry’s journey shows what happens when courage meets community, when a private fight becomes a public purpose.

Today, he’s back on the field, back on the course, and back to living with intention. And for every man who thinks breast cancer is someone else’s disease, Larry Roberts has a message: think again.

Barbara Turknett Edwards Inspires Hope and Healing in the Fight Against Cancer

Mari Michelle — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 02:00:40 +0000

Major Takeaways:

Barbara Turknett Edwards turned personal tragedy into a mission for community health and cancer awareness.
Her nonprofit, the Rose M. Turknett Cancer Network, connects underserved patients to critical resources.
A triple negative breast cancer thriver, Barbara uses her story to inspire and empower others

Barbara Turknett Edwards: Turning Pain into Purpose in the Fight Against Cancer

Barbara Turknett Edwards is a woman of deep conviction and unstoppable faith. A mother of three grown sons and grandmother to three grandsons and one granddaughter, Barbara has spent decades doing what many would consider impossible fighting cancer not just for herself but for entire communities. Now in her seventies and still going strong, she stands as both a survivor and a servant leader, reminding everyone she meets that hope and healing are possible when people have access to knowledge and resources.

Barbara’s story began with heartbreak. In 2009, her youngest sister Rose M. Turknett lost her battle with breast cancer. The loss devastated Barbara, but it also lit a fire in her spirit that has never gone out. Determined to honor her sister’s legacy, she founded the Rose M. Turknett Cancer Network, a nonprofit organization committed to education, early detection, and community advocacy. Through the organization, Barbara connects patients to lifesaving resources and helps families navigate a healthcare system that can often feel overwhelming. Her work is especially focused on underserved communities where medical access and information are often lacking.

The network provides cancer awareness programs, connects individuals to screenings, and assists patients with locating financial and emotional support. For Barbara, it is personal. “While my sister was going through, I didn’t know a lot of resources,” she recalls. “And when I went through, I didn’t get a lot of help. Case managers and social workers are too busy or have too many clients; they don’t share the information with patients.” Her voice carries both compassion and conviction, the sound of someone who has lived the struggle and decided to change it for others.

Barbara’s own diagnosis came nearly thirteen years ago, just as she was turning fifty eight. The words triple negative breast cancer can shake anyone’s soul, but Barbara chose faith over fear. “My experience is not like your average cancer survivor,” she says. “It has been an awesome experience. So many things have been birthed out of it. Like I said, I have a nonprofit organization. What I do, I assist people going through cancer with resources.” That spirit of gratitude and purpose has carried her through every obstacle.

Instead of retreating into pain or fear, Barbara transformed her diagnosis into a platform. Her journey has been about action, empowerment, and service. She became the advocate she wished she had during her sister’s fight, creating a bridge between patients and the critical information they need to survive. Her message is simple: awareness saves lives, and access saves futures.

In communities across America, especially those that have historically been overlooked or underserved, cancer outcomes remain uneven. Barbara knows this truth too well. That is why her nonprofit is more than just a name, it is a movement grounded in faith, compassion, and a determination to break down barriers to care. The Rose M. Turknett Cancer Network continues to grow, powered by partnerships, volunteers, and Barbara’s relentless drive to make sure no one walks alone on their cancer journey.

Even after all she has endured, Barbara radiates optimism. She speaks about cancer not as a curse but as a calling. She calls herself a thriver, not just a survivor, and she means it. For her, thriving means living on purpose, serving others, and spreading hope to those who feel forgotten by the system.

Today, Barbara Turknett Edwards remains a respected voice in cancer awareness circles, a mentor to newly diagnosed patients, and a community advocate whose work continues to touch lives across the country. She proves every day that surviving is not enough; you have to live, give, and keep believing that something good can come out of even the darkest chapters.

For more information or to support Barbara’s mission, visit the Rose M. Turknett Cancer Network online at www.rmtcancernetwork.org, email rmtcancernetwork@gmail.com, or call 954 822 0847.