When Sue Weldon was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 39, it was her children she

thought of first. She wanted to be there to raise them, to see them grow up, and to be strong for

them. As she went through surgery and chemotherapy she watched the pounds she didn’t have

fall away, lost her hair, her energy, and the color in her face. The conventional treatments that rid

her body of cancer surgery, chemotherapy, and reconstruction brought a host of mental and

physical side effects, including nausea, headaches, fatigue, neuropathy, muscle and joint pain,

anxiety and depression. These traumatic symptoms were debilitating, and lasted for a full year

after Sue’s treatment was complete. Adding to all of these challenges was the psychological pain

of losing both breasts, premature menopause, as well as changes in her body image and

sexuality, adding even more stress to a very difficult situation.

​

When Sue’s treatments were finished, she was told that she was cancer free. Despite this

wonderful news, she hardly recognized the woman she saw in the mirror, a shell of her former

vibrant self. Determined to regain some control of her health, Sue discovered that

an abundance of research had shown that integrating complementary therapy with mainstream medicine could significantly improve patient well being during treatment and beyond. She began incorporating acupuncture, massage, yoga, exercise, and nutrition into her recovery plan, and experienced significant reduction in pain, an increase in her energy, and improvement in her overall wellness. She learned that the astounding benefits of complementary therapies are widely accepted within the medical community, but since the treatments generally are not covered by insurance, most patients do not have access to or even know about them. Sue recognized that very few breast

cancer patients in active treatment and/or recovery have both the time and the energy to do the

research and the financial means to commit to the treatments.

​

Fueled by the powerful impact that complementary therapies had on her, in 2009, Sue founded

Unite for HER (Helping to Empower and Restore) to bridge this gap between the medical and

wellness communities and bring complementary therapies to all breast cancer patients, regardless

of income. In just over seven years, what started as a small program at Paoli Hospital, has grown

to a partnership with 15 hospitals that has served more than 3,000 breast cancer patients in the

Philadelphia region. Sue is a respected leader in the community and an effective proponent of

integrating traditional and holistic modalities to provide a comprehensive plan to treat the whole

woman.

​

Sue has received numerous awards for her impact on the breast cancer community. She was

named a Top 23 Power Women Local Game Changers by Main Line Today in 2013, as well as

one of the Top 20 Philanthropists Who Care in Main Line Today, April 2016. Last November,

she had the honor of being named the 2016 Health Hero by Philadelphia magazine for her work

as a wellness advocate, and also received the 2016 award for “Community Breast Cancer

Foundation of the Year” from Breast Cancer Wellness magazine.

​

Sue is a guest speaker at various events throughout the area, inspiring both men and women with

her compelling survivor-ship story and healthy lifestyle tips. Prior to founding UFH, Sue spent 25

years as a coach at AJS Pancott Gymnastics National Training Center, and has served as a Junior

Olympic National Team coach. She is a graduate of West Chester University with a degree in

Communication which she used in her career in advertising sales for 10 years. Sue and her

husband Chip have three children and reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania.