Five Years Later, Stacy Is Helping Others Find Hope
After finding compassionate care when she needed it most, northern Illinois breast cancer survivor Stacy Dietz is paying hope forward as captain of Team Survivor 5 at Walk for Hope Chicago.
A few years ago, Stacy Dietz thought she was settling into the next chapter of her life.
She and her husband had just moved into a new home in northern Illinois. She was embracing the close-knit aviation community that came with marrying an aircraft mechanic, spending weekends around small planes, air shows and new friendships.
Then a routine mammogram changed everything.
Additional imaging led to biopsies, then a breast cancer diagnosis. As the news unfolded, Stacy found herself searching for answers and reassurance she wasn't receiving. She felt frightened, overwhelmed and unsure what came next.
Then one phone call changed everything.
A family member encouraged Stacy to seek a second opinion at what is now City of Hope Chicago. She called after hours hoping someone could answer a few questions.
"I just wanted someone to tell me what questions to ask," Stacy said. "I needed to get back in the driver's seat of my care."
Instead, she found an entire team ready to help.
"They said, 'Come in. Spend the day with us,'" Stacy recalled.
Over the course of a single day, Stacy met the specialists who would guide every aspect of her care. She sat down with her breast surgeon, plastic surgeon, dietitian and therapist. Together, they explained her diagnosis, answered every question and walked her through every step of treatment—from surgery and reconstruction to recovery and emotional support. For the first time since hearing the words "you have cancer," Stacy felt like she understood what was happening, what her options were and what came next.
One conversation remains etched in her memory.
"My doctor looked at me and said, 'You're not okay.' And I said, 'No, I'm not. Am I supposed to be?'"
He pushed everything else aside and explained her diagnosis, her treatment plan and what she could expect in the months ahead.
Then he looked at her and said, "We're going to take care of you."
"I watched the color come back into my husband's face," Stacy said.
Just weeks later, Stacy underwent breast cancer surgery at City of Hope, where her surgeons were able to perform her cancer surgery and breast reconstruction during the same procedure. Three months later, she returned for a symmetry procedure. Today, she's preparing to celebrate five years since that life-changing surgery.
But what made the biggest difference wasn't a single procedure.
It was knowing she had a team caring for every part of her journey.
A dietitian reassured her that nothing she had eaten caused her cancer. A therapist helped her process fear, anger and even survivor's guilt. Her care team recognized that cancer affects entire families, making sure her husband felt supported, too. Stacy left with more than a treatment plan. She left with the confidence, tools and hope to move forward.
Becoming one of "those comforting people"
What Stacy remembers most isn't a procedure or a treatment plan.
It's how every person she met made her feel.
"You're going through something scary," she said, "but you're not in a scary place."
Helping others has always been part of who Stacy is. Growing up, her parents opened their home to 17 foster children, teaching her that when someone needs help, you do what you can. That lesson has stayed with her throughout her life—and became even more meaningful after cancer.
After treatment, Stacy looked for ways to become one of the people who had made such a difference for her.
She assembled pink "giving bags" filled with skincare products for patients visiting City of Hope. After reaching her goal of 100 bags, she began crocheting lap blankets to donate instead. This fall, she's taking her advocacy to new heights by hosting Rose Runway, an aviation-inspired fundraising gala in northern Illinois that will bring together the community she loves while raising critical funds for City of Hope.
"I just wanted to make sure I was another one of those comforting people," Stacy said.
Why she walks
This October will be especially meaningful.
The day before Walk for Hope Chicago, Stacy will join fellow survivors at Celebrate Life, honoring the milestone she'll officially reach later this year: five years since her surgery. Then she'll return the next morning to walk alongside family, friends and fellow supporters as captain of Team Survivor 5 — a name that celebrates how far she's come while reminding her why she continues to give back.
Last year was Stacy's first time experiencing Walk for Hope in person.
"I wanted to be part of that community," she said. "To be with all those families that were walking together. You can go through something really hard and still smile and dance. I needed that."
Today, she walks for the people who are just beginning their own cancer journey.
She walks for families who may be worrying about how they'll pay for treatment. She walks for caregivers trying to stay strong for someone they love. And she walks because she knows firsthand what it feels like when someone gives you hope exactly when you need it most.
"When you can help, you're supposed to," Stacy said. "That's the way I was raised."
Join Team Survivor 5
Every step taken at Walk for Hope helps advance lifesaving research, compassionate care and patient support at City of Hope.
Join Team Survivor 5 or make a donation in support of Stacy's fundraising efforts. Together, we can help more patients and families find the same hope Stacy found nearly five years ago and ensure that every person facing cancer has a team ready to walk beside them.