Amanda Raffenaud

We are extremely saddened to say that on April 3, 2023, Amanda passed away. She was a valued member of the AdvancedBreastCancer.net community and an incredible advocate and writer. We are so honored that Amanda shared her story and so much of her experience with our community. She will be deeply missed.

Amanda has been living with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer since 2018. Not only was she completely shocked to be diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 38, but she was shocked to learn it had spread to dozens of bones in her body. She had no early-stage breast cancer diagnosis and was even under the care of a breast surgeon for four years prior to her metastatic diagnosis. Since diagnosis, she has been in active treatment for stage 4 cancer, undergoing countless bone infusions, multiple surgeries, and monthly oncology visits. She is taking oral chemo to help stop the growth and spread of cancer and two years into the journey, things remain mostly stable.

Amanda and her family are no strangers to hard things. Prior to her diagnosis, Amanda lost her husband, James, to mental health issues in August of 2016. Since then, she has become an advocate for mental health and wellness. She has spoken publicly about mental health issues and uses her social media platforms to remind others that their story matters and their lives are worth living. She has now added metastatic breast cancer awareness to her public platform.

Amanda is a proud Florida native, born and raised in Orlando, Florida. She is a three-time UCF graduate obtaining a bachelor's, master's, and doctorate in health care administration and health management. She is currently an assistant professor at AdventHealth University and teaches both undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in health care administration.

Apart from her career, Amanda takes great pride in being a mother to two teenage boys. She and her boys enjoy traveling, hammocking, hiking, going to the beach, and spending time with their adorable Labradoodle, Lincoln.

It has been two years since her cancer diagnosis yet Amanda is thriving and learning how to find life, even in the unknown. She recently received her yoga teacher certification and spends a lot of time in the quiet outdoors, doing yoga, and finding joy in the midst of the hard.

Click here to read all of Amanda's articles on AdvancedBreastCancer.net.