Our Story

Willow Foundation is a passion project, founded by Leah Evert and Janine Klein after Leah’s stage four breast cancer diagnosis in 2017.

When Leah was diagnosed at age 36, her cancer had already metastasized outside of her breast and she was given about two years to live. Leah has completed over 100 rounds of chemotherapy, endured 10 surgeries, 19 rounds of radiation, and one clinical trial. During treatment, Leah has prioritized healthy nutrition, exercise, and a steadfast commitment to positivity, and currently is in remission.

What we don’t know is why some people respond to treatment and live long lives and some don’t. As a Registered Dietitian and Exercise Physiologist, Leah was determined to learn about lifestyle during cancer and became impassioned about finding research connecting diet, exercise, and mindset to improved cancer outcomes, but with few funded studies out there, she came up short.

In response, Leah and her best friend Janine created the Willow Foundation. Janine's a UX/UI designer and an Exercise Physiologist and is passionate about accessible health and wellness. Willow Foundation funds research efforts that help connect complementary health behaviors with improved outcomes for advanced and late-stage cancer patients.