Breast cancer gave Vera Trifunovich strength she never knew she had.
"I feel so full of life. I feel more creative than ever," Trifunovich said.
But it took some time to get there.
Trifunovich was deep affected by breast cancer twice - her mother died from the disease within a year of being diagnosed.
And then at 51, Trifunovich found a lump.
"I ignored it. I wanted it just to go away. I told myself oh it's because I'm 51, I'll be going through menopause soon. And so I kept waiting for it to magically disappear, well, it didn't," Trifunovich recalled.
After a mastectomy and chemotherapy, Trifunovich beat the disease.
She says what helped her most during treatment was finding support from other breast cancer fighters and survivors.
"By just talking to those other women and hearing them talk about how they got through everything, emotionally, and practically, that's really what helped me stay strong," Trifunovich said.
Now she's doing the same for others.
Trifunovich is the founder of "Bare Breasted Against Breast Cancer."
It's a non-profit organization based on the web.
It's here you'll find personal stories from survivors and care givers.
They share not only advice, but messages of inspiration.
"Being with other women who have gone through it has been for me one of the most healing and helpful parts that has helped me to find my inner strength to keep going," said Kelly Collamore, a breast cancer survivor.
That's something Trifunovich says is thanks to the power of storytelling.
"I want these women to log and find a little bit of sisterhood, find some hope, find some support. Not just terrifying articles and statistics," Trifunovich said.
So for providing breast cancer fighters with a community of comfort, Vera Trifunovich is our New Yorker of the Week.