When you meet Alisha for the first time you are captivated by her smile and her contagious enthusiasm. Both shine through in spite of the fact that at age 29 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Alisha found the lump herself and immediately contacted her physician. She was vigilant because of her mom’s history with breast cancer and her concern for her eight year old son, Jason.

It’s been almost two years since Alisha was diagnosed back in January 2011 and she feels she’s learned some valuable lessons from her journey. “My biggest challenge”, says Alisha, “was letting go of control and being totally reliant on my family. I needed help getting to chemo treatments and help caring for my son. What I realized along the way is that it’s okay to let someone else take the lead. I began to be okay with accepting help. That support made an important difference in being able to get through my  journey.”

Alisha participated in a research program at The Gathering Place through Case Medical School that looked at the impact of exercise on reducing the risk of recurrence for African American women with breast cancer. The program included twice weekly exercise classes and a support group component. Alisha came to the group thinking that people wouldn’t understand her. “I thought that the other group members wouldn’t get me but they did. I could open up because they knew where I was coming from.”

Alisha’s new motto is to not sweat the small stuff anymore; she has faith in something greater than her. Perhaps that is why she’s always smiling and so enthusiastic about life.

Click here to see Alisha’s debut on Fox 8 news this past Wednesday and come watch her shine on the runway at Compassion From Fashion this Saturday at Beachwood Place.

From 5-9pm enjoy exclusive shopping discounts, food from Maggiano’s and models from The Gathering Place and other celebrity models. The fashion show begins at 7pm. Click here to buy tickets. All proceeds benefit The Gathering Place and Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital.