Our Story...
Knowing how your body looks and feels by doing monthly breast self-checks will help you to alert your health care provider to any changes you may notice between mammograms and annual wellness exams with your doctor! Forty percent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump, so establishing a regular breast check routine is very important. "As a breast cancer survivor of 2002, I found my breast cancer lump in my right breast and it felt like a round HARD KNOT. By doing a monthly self-check - it saved my life!" - Diana Albritton, Knotty Girl Founder. Thus came to fruition KNOTTY GIRL! With her rope and knot body, her mission is to EDUCATE on the importance of monthly breast self-checks for the early detection of breast cancer! Knotty Girl is a VISUAL representation of what a breast cancer can feel like...round and hard like a KNOT! History of Knotty Girl & Diana... While attending a business meeting in Las Vegas in January 2002, an unusual key chain formally known as "Beads for Life" carried by a business friend, Ace Hawkins caught Diana's eye. This key chain was promoting breast cancer awareness and offered a visual using different size beads that were examples of stages and tumor sizes that could be found depending on the choice of detection. One bead was the size of a lump that could be found by doing a regular breast self-check. After having this visual and learning more about early detection, while lying down flat, Diana did a breast self-check and found something hard like a knot. She scheduled a doctor's appointment and mammogram. This test did not detect the tumor, as not all breast cancers are detected by mammograms. Because her physician could feel this tumor too an ultrasound and biopsy was scheduled immediately and within hours she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After six surgeries, disabling nerve damage and a two year painful course of rehabilitation, Diana’s focus now is living “Cancer Free” since February 27, 2002! Today, with the help of the Knotty Girl mission, Diana hopes to educate women and men of all ages on the importance of being breast aware and save lives through the early detection of breast cancer! Our Team Meet Diana Albritton, Founder and Breast Cancer Survivor 2002 Diana is a true Floridian - born and raised! She attended the University of Florida with a degree in Journalism & Communications. Diana owns a successful health insurance agency. In her spare time, Diana enjoys empowering others with their dreams and goals, being outdoors, traveling, spending time with friends and family. Meet Kacie Lowd, Social Media & Marketing Kacie is a Sebring native. She spent a few years in Germany while her husband was in the Army. Kacie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Florida. She’s currently a stay at home mom and embracing all of the joys and challenges of motherhood. In her free time, Kacie enjoys kayaking, traveling and making memories with her family and friends. |