The Fall 2026 issue of Cancer Today magazine is out, and I am honored to share that I photographed one of its most remarkable subjects: Debbie Denardi of North Miami Beach.
If you haven’t heard her story yet, you should.
As seen in Cancer Today Magazine, September 2026. Photography by Odette Photo+Art.”
Debbie lost her mother to breast cancer when she was 13 years old. She grew up carrying that loss, and the inherited gene mutations that came with it. In 2010, at 48, she was diagnosed with stage I triple-negative breast cancer herself. She survived. And then, rather than move on, she spent the next decade making sure other women wouldn’t have to face what her family did.
She became a patient advocate. She attended scientific training programs. She reviewed grant funding for the Department of Defense and Susan G. Komen. She lobbied Florida lawmakers. And in May 2025, a law she fought for was signed: one that eliminates cost-sharing for supplemental breast imaging for women in Florida. Because of Debbie, women with dense breast tissue or elevated cancer risk can now access additional screening without the financial barrier that stops so many from going.
When I arrived to photograph her, she had such a big smile on. It was one of those great sessions, full of stories and laughter, that stay with you.
“Debbie is so full of light, love and life,” I shared for the magazine. “Her energy made the whole session feel effortless, like catching up with an old friend. I hope my portraits help convey the bright light she is to the world.”
That is still exactly how I feel.
My job as a portrait photographer is to hold space for who someone really is — not just their title or their diagnosis or their achievements, but the actual living person in front of the camera. With Debbie, that was easy. She gave me everything.
To read her full story, pick up the Fall 2026 issue of Cancer Today or visit cancertoday.org. Read A Legacy of Action written by Eric Fitzsimmons.
And Debbie... thank you for letting me photograph you. It was an honor I won’t forget.
