Remembering Abigail
Abigail kept writing. Through the treatments, the side effects, the progressions, her posts kept coming.
She died on October 29th, 2026, of metastatic breast cancer. This morning, another of her posts landed in my inbox. I don’t know which one will be her last, but I’m grateful for every post.
Her words continue to make me pause, reflect, remember, and evaluate.
Words matter: how we met
We first met on Twitter back in 2020. One of my first blog posts was about getting your mammogram, and it mentioned prevention. Abigail, in her signature manner, pointed out to me that mammograms detect cancer and don’t do anything to prevent it.Â
Words matter. So I went in and changed it.
A few years later, when I shared the post again, she thanked me for not using the word prevention.Â
Her powerful writing
Abigail’s writing drew me in. She was real and unflinching. The beauty of her words didn’t hide the ugliness of the disease that killed her.Â
Whenever there was a holiday, she would share the family portraits that she had taken to commemorate Christmas or Mother’s Day. She was so proud of her boys, and we often talked about being a boy mom in our messages.Â
She brought us together as a breast cancer community. Her voice, her dedication, her story, her love, her faith, and her legacy have been written on our souls.
I’m angry that MBC stole another life. Abigail should have had years to live. And yet she did most of her mothering while dealing with a deadly disease.Â
She brought us all into her world with her writing. She made us think. She asked us to be precise with our words.
She kept writing. Long-form blogs that were thought-provoking and impactful. Over the last several months, they’ve been coming twice a week. The last several have been unexpected gifts she left for us.
In her words
As I try to find a way to honor and remember a woman who inspired me to write more, I’m finding it hard to put words on the page. Â
So, I’ll share this quote from her post today:
“People whose absence leaves a crater and they die anyway. Meanwhile, you remain. The uncomfortable truth is that there is often no satisfying explanation. Cancer does not distribute outcomes according to merit. It does not reward courage. It does not reward intelligence. It does not reward kindness. It does not reward advocacy. If it did, many of the people I have buried would still be here.”Â
Abigail Johnston, “Layers of Guilt“
Keep remembering and writing
Abigail, thank you for sharing so much of your life with us. You are already deeply missed.
You’ve asked us to keep telling the stories.
To keep remembering.
So, that is what we will do.
“The people we lose deserve more than our guilt. They deserve our remembrance. They deserve their names spoken aloud. They deserve their stories told.”Â
Abigail Johnston, “Layers of Guilt“
Jennifer Douglas
Jennifer Douglas is an author, patient advocate, and DCIS breast cancer survivor. After navigating her own breast cancer journey in 2019, she began writing and encouraging others who were newly diagnosed. Her resources include her book, "A Breast Cancer Journey: Living It One Step at a Time," and her online support course, "Encourage: Breast Cancer and Beyond." Jennifer also actively supports patients through her online presence and direct involvement in communities and support groups, offering guidance and encouragement every step of the way.
You May Also Like
Exercising After Breast Cancer: How to Create a Sustainable and Joyful Practice
What Are Clear Margins in Breast Cancer Surgery?
