Honoring a Patient Who Continues to Lead: Chelsey Pickthorn at LBBC’s Butterfly Ball

Physicians are privileged to care for patients whose resilience and perspective reach far beyond the clinical setting. Chelsey Pickthorn is one of those patients, and it was deeply meaningful to see her recognized as the 2025 Donna Noce Colaco Going Beyond Award Honoree at Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s annual Butterfly Ball on November 8.

Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) Butterfly Ball honors members of the breast cancer community who are impacting their neighborhoods & communities. The Donna Noce Colaco Going Beyond Award recognizes individuals who use their personal experiences to improve the lives of others. Chelsey exemplifies this mission through her willingness to share her story, mentor other patients, and help reshape how breast cancer is discussed within both medical and public spaces.

Chelsey’s recognition reflects the same determination and thoughtfulness she brought into our earliest conversations. She has always approached her care with intention — asking important questions, seeking understanding, and remaining actively engaged in decisions about her health. That level of partnership is something every surgeon values, but
Chelsey’s commitment extended far beyond her own care. While living with triple-negative metastatic breast cancer, Chelsey has become a powerful advocate for patient education, equitable access to care, and open dialogue about the realities of survivorship and metastatic disease. She speaks honestly about her experience, helping others feel less isolated while encouraging patients to become active participants in their treatment journeys.

Chelsey’s advocacy continues through her leadership role as aboard member of Living Beyond Breast Cancer, where she helps ensure patient voices remain central to national education and support initiatives. Watching Chelsey receive this recognition was
a proud moment, not only as her surgeon, but as someone who has witnessed her commitment to turning personal challenges into meaningful advocacy.

(photo at the Butterfly Ball award ceremony, from right to left: Dr. Ron Israeli with Chelsey Pickthorn, her wife Coco Lloyd and mother Sharon Henifin)