For Lauren Leonelli, a 38-year-old engineer from Patchogue, life was a whirlwind of new beginnings. After a long and ultimately unsuccessful journey with IVF, an incredible new chapter began when she and her husband adopted two young children. Life was full, busy, and just settling into a new rhythm when a strange, persistent pain and a fateful dream sent her on a path she never expected.
“I had a dream where my grandmother told me I needed to go get checked out,” Lauren recalled. That very next day, she walked into the Fortunato Breast Health Center at Mather Hospital with a handwritten prescription from her OB-GYN. An ultrasound and mammogram found something concerning. Soon after, a biopsy confirmed her diagnosis: Stage 2 Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat forms of the disease.
The diagnosis was a gut punch. As an engineer, Lauren is used to planning for every contingency. “When you get slapped with a cancer diagnosis out of nowhere, there’s no plan,” she said. “I was like, ‘What do I do now?’”
What she soon learned made the situation even more urgent. Triple-Negative is one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer because it lacks the common hormone receptors that many modern therapies target. This meant her treatment path would be more challenging, and time was of the essence.
That feeling of being lost is where her healing journey truly began. Within hours, the team at the Fortunato Breast Health Center stepped in, and from that moment on, the chaos and fear began to subside as a clear, supportive path forward emerged. Stephanie, her nurse navigator, became what Lauren calls her “team captain.”
“From the shock of the diagnosis when you just feel so lost, to know that you have this person who is your team captain… it was a huge weight off my shoulders,” Lauren shared. Stephanie immediately began coordinating her care, scheduling appointments with her surgeon, Colleen McCloy, MD, FACS and oncologist, Yelda Nouri, MD.
That sense of support defined her entire experience. It wasn’t just about the medical care; it was about the humanity. The personal touch was a constant comfort.
The fight ahead was intense: six months of chemotherapy followed by surgery and finally, radiation. That sense of support and humanity was a constant comfort. “Stephanie held my hand through the whole biopsy,” Lauren said. “Everyone talks to you like a human. You’re not a patient and a number.” This personal touch continued throughout her treatment, which included holistic services like Reiki and even hospital visits from the staff when she was admitted for an infection.
Today, more than a year after finishing treatment, Lauren is cancer-free and embracing a new chapter. A testament not only to her own strength but to the sophisticated, rapid care she received close to home. Surviving has given her a profound appreciation for her health and the team that stood by her. She is more conscientious about what goes into her body, taking up new hobbies like weightlifting and baking her own sourdough bread. And in a surprising twist, the straight hair she’d had her whole life grew back curly—a small, outward sign of her complete transformation.
For Lauren, the Fortunato Breast Health Center wasn’t just a place for testing and diagnosis; it was a community that rallied around her with the expertise to conquer one of breast cancer’s toughest forms.
“The personal touch that Mather has makes me so happy,” she said, “and will have me recommend them to everyone.”