Jill Cohen was a daughter, a sister, wife and former nonprofit fundraiser who was initially diagnosed with early stage breast cancer in 1999 at 39 years old. In August 2002, she visited an orthopedist to learn why her recent rounds of physical therapy for what she believed was a sports-related injury hadn't worked. Following an X-ray, she discovered that her cancer had returned and metastasized to her bones.
Some of Jill's favorite hobbies included dancing and singing, being an active leader in her synagogue and an avid reader of sci-fi and fantasy novels. She also enjoyed cooking for her extensive support network and attending an in-person weekly support group for people living with advanced types of cancer. Jill was active on social media and frequently updated her blog, Dancing with Cancer. The blog was named after the dance principle of learning to lead and follow and applied to her life with cancer. In August 2015, Jill celebrated her 13-year "Bat Mitzvah" living with metastatic breast cancer (mBC). Jill shared her story with people who were newly diagnosed with mBC to let them know that there is hope for living and doing well with the disease.
Sadly, on August 11, 2016, Jill Cohen passed away from mBC at the age of 56.
Photographed by Ben Heath and Angelo Merendino
Jill Cohen was a daughter, a sister, wife and former nonprofit fundraiser who was initially diagnosed with early stage breast cancer in 1999 at 39 years old. In August 2002, she visited an orthopedist to learn why her recent rounds of physical therapy for what she believed was a sports-related injury hadn't worked. Following an X-ray, she discovered that
