Guided by the Light

(Photo taken in Kauai, Aug 2023 by Glenn Pinto)

And she was guided by the light 
Cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night 
Guided by the light 
She got down, but she stayed forever in the light 

Yes she’s surely made it all right.

-Adapted from Blinded by the Light, Bruce Springsteen

In 2010, my friend Adriana showed me the light. She set me free from the terror that doctors had instilled in me. I am forever in gratitude. Sharing my story, insights, and resources is my way of paying it forward.

One of my first blog posts was written in January 2012, two years after a DCIS diagnosis rocked my world: You can read it here:

An Angel called Adriana

In October 2015, I hosted “Beyond Breast Cancer Awareness,” an event to educate women about options for early detection and cancer prevention.

I made a video for the event to highlight the choice I made to go against medical advice and say NO to overly aggressive “standard of care” treatments.

The video features books, films, videos and more inspiration for creating my websites, support groups, and a nonprofit organization (now called Give Wellness):

A recent update to my story can be found here:

May you, too, be guided by the light.

With love and gratitude,

Donna Pinto, April 2024

About Donna Pinto

I am originally from New Jersey and moved to Los Angeles with my family at age 12. After graduating from San Diego State University with a BA in Journalism, I had a short-stint in magazine advertising sales before landing my "dream job" with Club Med. For two years I worked at resorts in Mexico, The Bahamas, The Dominican Republic and Colorado. My husband Glenn & I met in Ixtapa, Mexico and we embarked on a two year honeymoon around the world. This was also a research project for a book we wrote called "When The Travel Bug Bites: Creative Ways to Earn, Save and Stay Abroad." I am also the author of a quote book for new graduates -- "Cheatnotes on Life: Lessons From The Classroom of Life." In 1997, we settled in San Diego and I was blessed to work part-time from home for non-profit organizations while raising our two boys. In 2010, a DCIS diagnosis changed my life. DCIS 411 is the culmination of my on-going journey and discoveries.
This entry was posted in Health. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.