When Kelly Curtis-Stout’s husband first felt the lump, neither of them expected how quickly life would change. For years, Kelly had been vigilant, undergoing mammograms every six months. Each scan had come back clear—until one didn’t. By the time her cancer was detected, it had already spread to her lymph nodes.

The diagnosis—invasive ductal carcinoma, grade 2 with lymph node involvement, ER/PR positive and HER2 negative—arrived on August 15, 2023. She still remembers the sting of learning the news alone, reading the results in her online patient portal late on a Friday afternoon. With no doctor to speak with until Monday morning, she describes the weekend as one of the longest of her life: “I was completely deflated and scared.”

A Village of Support

From the start, Kelly’s husband became her rock, attending every appointment and treatment, and caring for her after each surgery. Friends and family stepped in to cover carpools, deliver meals, and run errands. “It truly took a village,” Kelly says. Surrounded by unwavering support, she leaned on her community during the most difficult days.

The Treatment Journey

Kelly’s treatment began with 16 rounds of chemotherapy, followed by three major surgeries within a month and a half. Her first surgery was a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. But her path forward was far from simple. Two weeks later, doctors had to remove more lymph nodes—29 in total. Then, complications struck: her reconstruction became infected, forcing surgeons to remove everything.

“I had to remain flat through six weeks of radiation and another six months after,” she explains. It wasn’t until January 2025 that Kelly could begin the reconstruction process again, this time with an SGAP procedure followed by a corrective surgery four months later. Today, she continues long-term treatment with Letrozole and Verzenio.

Through it all, the hardest part wasn’t just physical—it was emotional. Kelly describes the rollercoaster of feelings and the constant anxiety of waiting for test results. “There is always a scan, a test, or bloodwork, then days or weeks of waiting for the response. Always thinking the worst but hoping for the best.”

Setbacks, Strength, and Scars

One of Kelly’s lowest moments came when her reconstruction became infected. Suddenly hospitalized, she faced emergency surgery to remove the expanders and weeks of IV antibiotics at home. “That was a setback I wasn’t prepared for,” she recalls. Yet even then, she found strength in her husband Mike, God, and family.

Hair loss also hit her harder than she expected. “It was very hard for me to lose not only my hair on my head, but my eyelashes and eyebrows,” she says. Still, Kelly learned she could endure more than she ever thought possible. “I did a lot of self-reflection and learned that I could handle a lot more than I thought.”

A New Normal

Cancer changed Kelly’s outlook on life and relationships. She no longer feels like the same person she was before her diagnosis, and at times, that makes it difficult to connect with old friends. “I know that I’ll never be the same person as I was before, and I still feel like I’m trying to figure out that new normal life,” she shares.

These days, she focuses on self-care and gradually shifting toward a more non-toxic lifestyle—small changes, step by step. Energy that once fueled an active exercise routine is now limited, but Kelly continues to seek balance, finding peace outdoors and cherishing time with her loved ones.

Discovering BCFCF

Though she didn’t connect with the Breast Cancer Foundation of Central Florida until after treatment, Kelly is grateful for the relationships she’s building now. “It has been so wonderful meeting other people who have gone on this journey as well and can relate to me,” she says. She only wishes she had known about BCFCF sooner.

Her words for the Foundation are simple but heartfelt: “A truly genuine organization that helps local families during their darkest and hardest days.”

A Life of Love and Legacy

Away from treatment rooms and surgeries, Kelly is a mother to six boys and the proud owner of three dogs. Her family keeps her grounded and reminds her daily of what truly matters. She doesn’t see her scars as cosmetic but as proof of survival. “I did not have cosmetic surgery; I had cancer. I am lucky to be alive and grateful to be where I am.”

Kelly’s advice for those newly diagnosed: “Take it one day at a time and do your research. Don’t feel like you have to do everything just because the doctors say you do. Trust your gut.”

If she could go back to the day she was diagnosed, she knows exactly what she would say to herself: “Take a deep breath, you’re going to be ok, and you’re going to come out stronger.”