She immediately searched for other women with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) on social media, trying to find someone who could offer hope. “It was very hard to find someone with breast cancer, let alone triple-negative breast cancer — triple-negative is its own shade of pink. There was nothing for me. I couldn’t find my people,” Thomas says. But she didn’t give up.
As she went through IV chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, and radiation, Thomas continued to search for a group who would understand what she was going through. She found some helpful communities, but none that could speak to the specifics of triple-negative breast cancer.
— Kelly Thomas
Thomas once dreamed of becoming a journalist, so she felt eager and comfortable sharing her diagnosis and treatment journey on social media. “It just felt natural to start counting chemos and share [my experience].”
“In 2019, I finally put together what I so desperately needed — I created TNBC Thrivers,” says Thomas. “My goal was that all the future Kelly Thomases would find the one story they could hold on to.” She wanted others with TNBC to say, ”If Kelly Thomas can beat this thing, I can beat this thing.”
Throughout 2019, Kelly attended breast cancer conferences to discover new ways to reach out to her TNBC community and provide more support. But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and lockdowns stopped her from growing the community in person. That’s when Thomas discovered Zoom. She bought an account, announced it on Instagram, and started a regular video chat named Thriver Thursday.
Her Zoom chats and Instagram community quickly grew popular, and soon, Thomas was recruited by another cancer organization to help with their community support. She worked with them for four years. After their partnership ended, Thomas’s husband encouraged her to throw all her efforts into TNBC Thrivers.
In June 2024, Thomas relaunched not only Thriver Thursday chats, but a website offering chats, webinars, events, and community support.