Finding strength in faith: Stephani St. Cyr’s journey with stage IV breast cancer

At the time, Stephani (pronounced Steff-an-I) was living in Philadelphia, the mother of three adult children, and happily divorced. As a vice president of operations in a healthcare-based organization, she was thriving in a fast-paced corporate career. She had recently transitioned back to her company after a brief move to Maryland. As soon as her health benefits resumed, she scheduled a doctor’s appointment. He initially suspected a cyst but referred her to a specialist to be certain.

The breast cancer doctor didn’t hesitate. “This is cancer,” she said. A biopsy confirmed it. Further tests revealed that the cancer had spread to her bones and liver. In March 2019, Stephani was diagnosed stage IV metastatic breast cancer.

Sitting with the news, she didn’t cry. She didn't think, "Why me?" Instead, she thought, “Why not me? What am I supposed to learn from this?”

Faith as a foundation

Stephani had been raised in the church, but her relationship with God had been distant. She said her prayers in the morning, attended church on Sundays, but not much more. Her diagnosis changed that. “I decided, okay, Lord, what are you trying to teach me?”

She turned to her faith, praying over her body every day, reciting, "By your stripes, I am healed" (Isaiah 53:5). At first, she questioned why this was happening to her – out of curiosity, not despair. She started talking to God all throughout the day, as though she were talking with a friend. "Yo, I don't understand," she would say, "Help me see what I need to do." Over time, her trust deepened. She found peace in the belief that she was not alone. "I want you to hold on to my hand and let’s walk through this together," she felt God telling her. And she did.

When her doctors found a brain tumor in June 2021, her trust in God did not waver. “I don’t want this,” she told Him. “So, I don’t know what you’re going to do to make it go away, but I don’t want it.”

Treatment and staying the course

Stephani’s treatment journey has been marked by changes and challenges. She began with six rounds of chemotherapy, followed by a year of trastuzumab (Herceptin) and pertuzumab (Perjeta). In 2021, Stephani began having dizziness. That’s when, after a series of tests, her brain tumor was discovered. Surgery was scheduled, and the tumor was removed within a week. Her doctors changed her treatment to trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu), which initially made her sick. But with some experimentation, her body adjusted. Now, she receives trastuzumab as well as the oral medications tucatinib (Tukysa) and capecitabine. She has remained without evidence of disease since July 2021.

A calling to help

For Stephani, faith is not only about personal strength — it’s about service. “Your testimony is going to be somebody’s survival guide,” she told herself. She had always believed in meeting people where they were. That belief shaped how she helped others. In June 2023, she shaved her head in solidarity with her cousin, who had alopecia and hesitated to remove her wig. Stephani told her, “You are too pretty to be hiding under that wig." Together, they played with makeup and styles. Then, they stepped outside together, and her cousin received so many compliments that she stopped wearing wigs — except when it’s cold. Inspired by this moment, Stephani looked for more ways to support others through their struggles.

In 2023, she joined Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s Hear My Voice program to train as an advocate. Committed to sharing her story and supporting others, she was excited to speak as a panelist at LBBC’s Thriving Together: 2025 Annual Conference on Metastatic Breast Cancer. As a recent host for LBBC’s Facebook group, Stephani shared daily words of encouragement. Initially, she posted about her faith, sharing how it gave her strength. But after someone raised a concern about her religious messages, she changed her approach. “You have to know your audience,” she says. “I can’t make you believe what I believe, but I can share what has worked for me.” Instead of posting about faith, she now focuses on uplifting messages that resonate with everyone.

One of her interests in advocacy is ensuring that Black and Brown communities have access to vital breast cancer information. “So much information never reaches us,” she says. “But it’s getting better.” She also advocates for self-education and self-advocacy, encouraging others to request screenings and genetic testing for inherited mutations if they have a family history of breast cancer.

Coming from a family where four of her aunts had breast cancer, Stephani had not realized she should have undergone genetic testing before her breast cancer experience. “I just didn't know," she says. She had genetic testing, and there were no inherited mutations found. Still, she encourages others to be proactive. "Breast cancer doesn’t discriminate. You need to know your risks."

Editor's note: Learn more about who should have testing for inherited genetic mutations here.

Living with joy

Now, Stephani’s days are filled with purpose and joy. She adores her 12-year-old grandson, who she calls Porkchop and is the apple of her eye. Another constant companion is her 110-pound “lap dog,” Codee, who believes he’s much smaller than he is. “If you’re sitting down, he’s trying to get into your lap,” she laughs. She also finds joy with her three adult children: Lohni (32), Craig (30), and Johnny (28).

Her passion for helping others has led her to co-author Baldness with Boldness, a book about embracing confidence after hair loss. She also serves on the cancer ministry at her church, where she supports others facing diagnoses with encouragement and faith. In addition, she is currently working to become certified as a personal trainer, seeing how movement, no matter how small, plays a critical role in quality of life. She wants to open a gym specifically for people with cancer.

A few years ago, Stephani’s journey began with a simple, unexpected touch – a moment that changed her life. Today, she wakes up each morning with gratitude and purpose. “Every day you wake up, it’s because God still has something for you to do,” she says. “That’s why I’m here.”