10/15/2025
One year ago today, Brooke Riley discovered a lump in her breast and her life changed forever. At just 34 years old, and with a one-year-old daughter, Brooke began a journey through breast cancer that would test her strength, her spirit, and her faith in community.
Thanks to a routine self-exam, Brooke caught her cancer early. Within days, she was surrounded by a compassionate care team at Covenant Health Thompson Oncology Group in Oak Ridge. Guided by Dr. Murphree and Nurse Navigator Monica Mathys, Brooke found not only expert medical care, but unwavering emotional support.
💗 “Monica was my rock,” Brooke says. “She walked me through the diagnosis, helped me choose my care team, and has been with me every step of the way.”
Her daughter, Kohler, became her source of strength. “She didn’t see me any differently—whether I had hair, a wig, or a hat. She just saw ‘Mommy.’ When I took off my wig and she ran to me with a smile, I knew I could do this.”
Today, Brooke celebrates one year of resilience and reminds us all why self-exams and mammograms matter.