For Laurinda Rainey, Managing Director and General Manager of the United Airlines Cobrand at Chase, taking on the role of a committee member for the Women in Media & Marketing Luncheon benefiting Breastcancer.org was not just a priority, it was also personal.

Held at JPMorgan Chase Headquarters in New York on May 2, the event honored executives who have been advocates, caregivers and survivors of breast cancer. And in Rainey’s case, she joined in on the planning and the celebration as both a caregiver and a survivor.

“My journey actually began when I was very young, when my oldest sister was diagnosed with breast cancer in her early thirties,” Rainey told Beet.TV’s Lisa Granatstein. “I went with her to her doctor’s appointments and saw everything firsthand to go through surgery. I was there as a caregiver for the beginning of her journey and the last years of her life.”

Two years later, when her sister passed away, Rainey began screening in her late twenties. She went through a barrage of tests, biopsies, a lumpectomy and then a bilateral mastectomy.

“I just can’t speak enough about the power of preventative care, because if I had not been diligent in discussing everything with my doctors, and if I had waited until I was 40, who knows what would be my life story.”

Now six years cancer-free, Breastcancer.org proved to be integral in providing insights for patients and their caregivers – and a community where people can learn from one another.

“There’s power in community,” Rainey noted. “A lot of us feel like we go through difficult situations, and we might be the only person facing that situation. Breastcancer.org provides that community, along with the expertise that helps people navigate such a difficult journey.”

To learn more, please visit breastcancer.org. To make a donation, please visit breastcancer.org/give.

Written by Lisa Granatstein, Beet.TV