Grateful Patient Journey: From Patient to Philanthropist Isabel Guillen
When Isabel Guillen first felt the lump in her breast, she was 31 years old, nursing her youngest daughter, and certain something was wrong. But for nearly nine months, her concerns were brushed aside. “Everyone told me I was too young for breast cancer,” she recalls. “I wanted to believe them, but deep down I knew something wasn’t right.”
By the time she pushed herself to the emergency room in December 2019, her left breast had doubled in size. The diagnosis confirmed her fears: Stage III breast cancer. “The day I was told, I honestly almost gave up,” she says. “I thought about my daughters — the graduations, quinceañeras, weddings I might never see. I didn’t want to leave them motherless.”
Her healing began at Adventist Health White Memorial’s Cecilia Gonzalez De La Hoya Cancer Center. A nurse practitioner named Kathy quickly recognized the urgency, moving mountains to get Isabel the care she needed, despite her lack of insurance. “She literally took care of everything,” Isabel says. “Within two weeks, I had my surgery scheduled. They moved fast because they knew time was critical.”
Over the next months, Isabel underwent a bilateral mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation under the care of Dr. Raymundo Romero and the Cancer Center team. It wasn’t just medical skill that sustained her — it was the compassion she felt every time she walked through the doors. “They treated me with love and respect,” she says. “I wasn’t just another appointment. I felt cared for as a person.”
A Shared Personal Journey
Three months after Isabel’s cancer diagnosis, her own father was also diagnosed, but she knew exactly where to take him. “I wanted him to have the same care I had,” she says. Dr. Romero again became their doctor, guiding her father through treatments, infusions, and the emotional toll of the disease. When insurance wouldn’t cover certain medications, the Cancer Center stepped in.
“They made his last days so comfortable,” Isabel remembers. “We couldn’t have asked for more. White Memorial didn’t just care for my father — they cared for our family.”
Living Beyond Cancer
Nearly 15 years after finishing her treatments, Isabel is thriving. She has watched her daughters grow into strong women, celebrated their graduations and milestones, and embraced her role as a grandmother — a blessing she once feared she’d never experience.
Her survival has given her a mission: helping others find hope in their darkest moments. “Follow your gut,” she urges women. “Push for the tests. Advocate for yourself, because no one else will do it for you.”
Chavelytas Pink Hood Cancer Foundation: Honoring a Legacy
To honor her father’s memory and the community that lifted her up, Isabel founded the Chavelytas Pink Hood Cancer Foundation. The nonprofit supports women battling cancer and serves underserved neighborhoods in East Los Angeles.
At the Cancer Center, she hosts events where patients receive makeovers, wigs, and encouragement. “They come scared and quiet,” she says. “But they leave smiling, taking pictures, feeling beautiful again. That’s the impact I want to have — to show there’s life beyond cancer.”
Being a Force for Good
This October, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Isabel’s story stands as a testament to resilience, faith, and the power of compassionate care.
“I’m here because White Memorial fought for me when others didn’t,” Isabel says. “They gave my father dignity in his final days and gave me the chance to live mine to the fullest. Now it’s my turn to fight for others.”
Join us in making a difference. Your gift to Adventist Health White Memorial’s Cecilia Gonzalez De La Hoya Cancer Center helps provide life-saving treatment, comfort, and hope to patients and families when they need it most. Give today.