Remembering Abigail Johnston

We are deeply saddened to share that AdvancedBreastCancer.net Health Leader Abigail Johnston passed away on October 29, 2026, surrounded by her family. We are holding Abigail's loved ones close in our thoughts, especially her husband, her sons, and her family and friends. Abigail will be remembered and deeply missed by all who knew her.

Abigail's story

Abigail was a daughter, mother, wife, and attorney. In March 2017, she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Just three months later, in June 2017, she learned the cancer had already spread to her bones, and her diagnosis became metastatic breast cancer.

The first months after her diagnosis were a whirlwind. But Abigail soon found her footing and started her blog, No Half Measures, where she wrote about whatever was on her mind through the lens of living with stage 4 cancer. The name fit perfectly. Abigail never did anything halfway.

She lived with metastatic breast cancer for more than 9 years. Along the way, she learned she had inherited an ATM gene mutation, and later testing found other somatic mutations. She made understanding them her own research project, regularly bringing new studies and articles to her care team.

A fierce advocate for the MBC community

Abigail worked with Metavivor as a Peer to Peer Advocate, with Living Beyond Breast Cancer as a Hear My Voice Advocate, and with After Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD). She also started her own nonprofit, Connect IV Legal Services, to recruit attorneys to do pro bono legal work for people with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.

Abigail also made sure others in the MBC community did not feel alone. She co-administered the online community Living Metastatic One Day at a Time, where she helped organize its "Sister Buddy" program so that no member felt isolated.

Abigail's words live on

Abigail began writing for AdvancedBreastCancer.net in 2019. She wrote with a lawyer's precision and a friend's honesty. She could walk readers through troubleshooting bone pain step by step, then turn around and write openly about depression, grief, and the parts of MBC that no one sees. She was candid about her anger that people with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer are so often left out of breast cancer awareness, and she never stopped pushing for them to be seen.

You can read some of her articles here:

• Where Did My Hair Go? 10 Surprising Places for Chemo Hair Loss
• Scars, Seen and Unseen
• Beyond the Pink Ribbon: Honoring Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day
• My Pain Isn't a Number: How I Troubleshoot My Symptoms

Click here to read all of Abigail's contributions.

Join us in remembering Abigail

We know that Abigail touched so many in the MBC community through her writing and advocacy. In her article on keeping the legacy of others alive, she encouraged readers to say the names of those we have lost and to share their stories.

If you would like to share a memory or story about Abigail, please do so in the comments below.