SEATTLE — For more than 40 years, Emily Bullard-Clough has been around horses. Riding remained a constant in their life even after they were diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 2024.
“Cancer does not discriminate. It affects humans,” Bullard-Clough said. “It doesn’t matter what race, gender, color you are. It affects everyone.”
Bullard-Clough, who identifies as non-binary, said treatment was only one part of navigating breast cancer. They described having cancer as a “full-time job” while also balancing work, bills and everyday responsibilities.
They said the experience also required them to become an advocate for themselves.
“I had no idea how much I was going to be educated and how much research I had to do for myself,” Bullard-Clough said.
Bullard-Clough said they dug through dozens of scholarly articles while researching cancer care. Through that research and their own experience, they said they noticed gaps in breast cancer care and resources for people who aren’t women.
That has become part of their mission: pushing for breast cancer education and support that reaches everyone.
“We are more than pink. Absolutely more than pink,” Bullard-Clough said. “Men get breast cancer. Women get breast cancer. Humans get breast cancer.”
Bullard-Clough said Susan G. Komen helped connect them with support groups, resources and other people who understood what they were going through.
Danica Smith, Komen’s development director, said the organization focuses on research as well as supporting people diagnosed with the disease.
“We take a holistic approach to people with breast cancer,” Smith said. “We’re driving and funding research. We’re providing patient support with our Patient Care Center.”
According to the American Cancer Society, more than 321,000 women and 2,600 men are expected to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the U.S. in 2026. More than 42,000 women and 500 men are expected to die from the disease.
Bullard-Clough said they would also like to see health care professionals and facilities become more open to learning about the different patients they serve.
And for anyone facing a breast cancer diagnosis, Bullard-Clough’s message is simple: Don’t go through it alone.
The 2026 Susan G. Komen More Than Pink Walk, sponsored by KIRO 7, is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26, at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. If you’d like to join a team or start one, click here.
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