It’s been estimated that roughly 30 percent of newly-diagnosed cancers in women are breast cancer diagnoses. It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women after skin cancer, and the often-touted stat is that one in eight women will develop breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. These people are your co-workers, your friends, your sisters, your mothers — and each of them has a story.

And while the rate of women succumbing to breast cancer has been steadily decreasing since 2000, we still have a long way to go before we get to a cure and a world where we won’t have to say goodbye to anyone we love because of breast cancer, which is why Breast Cancer Awareness Month remains important. However, when the awareness month ends and the pink ribbon is no longer on everyone’s lapel, the words and experiences of these patients and survivors are even more important to take to heart.

We need to continue to shed light on the strides that science is making toward eradicating breast cancer — all year round. We need to continue to encourage women to get their yearly mammograms, to understand how to look out for their health  and we need to continue to support people battling this disease.

In support of them, we’ve rounded up a number of inspiring quotes from some badass survivors and patients (some whose names you know, some you don’t) who have battled or are battling breast cancer.

Get inspired by these quotes, share any that inspire you and look for ways to support patients and survivors in your own life.

A version of this story as originally published October 2015. 

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