Anna Sosnowski dedicated 13 years of her life to nursing, the last three of which have been spent at Arroyo Grande Community Hospital as an acute rehab and med surg telemetry nurse.

Caring for others runs in her family—her grandma, aunt, cousin, and sister are all nurses too. 

“We call it the family profession,” Anna said. 

But last year, her life took an unexpected turn from caregiver to patient.


While breastfeeding her 4-month-old baby, Anna found a lump in her breast. Busy with three young children—Elena, Evelyn, and Elijah—she initially put off getting it checked. 

But with urging from her sister, Anna went for a mammogram and biopsy. While she was undressing for the biopsy, she felt another lump under her armpit. 

“As a nurse, I knew in the back of my mind that it wasn’t a good sign,” she said. 

The biopsy results confirmed Anna’s worst fears: stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma.


“It was such a shock. You never think breast cancer is going to happen to you, so hearing the words on the phone when I got that phone call was very surreal,” Anna recalled. “I exercise and eat right. I do everything to keep my health on track with three small kids.” 

She was referred to oncologist Dr. April Kennedy and surgeon Dr. Julie Barone Arroyo Grande Community Hospital. Thankfully, the cancer had only spread to her lymph nodes, so she started chemotherapy to shrink the tumor before having surgery.


However, while receiving her second chemo infusion, Anna went into anaphylactic shock.

“Being a nurse is a blessing and a curse because you know so much about what’s happening to you,” Anna said. “But everything I was thinking while it was happening, the nurses did right away. They did everything by the book. I felt very supported.”

Following the incident, she underwent a double mastectomy and started radiation. Anna said having the support of her family, friends, and colleagues at the hospital and Mission Hope Cancer Center Arroyo Grande has made all the difference.

“I’ve had such an incredible support system. A cancer diagnosis is a really hard thing to go through,” she said. “I'm not someone who takes help easily. I've always been independent. But the excellent treatment from my doctors, the meals and help with childcare from my parents and friends—it’s meant so much.”

Another invaluable source of strength and help: her mom, Alice, who is also navigating a breast cancer diagnosis. Alice’s cancer was caught early during a routine mammogram, resulting in a lumpectomy and radiation. She’s now hit her 4-year mark and is cancer free. 

“Having support from my mom and my dad has been huge because if I didn’t have family supporting me through this, I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through it,” she said. 

Her parents have helped maintain a sense of normalcy for her children and are always a phone call away if there’s an emergency or Anna has questions about her treatments. 

While Anna is incredibly grateful for her family, she also recognizes that not everyone has that level of support available to them. That’s where Mission Hope Cancer Center comes in. 

“Mission Hope is a huge help to people when they really need it. Not only do you get treatment, you can get rides to and from infusions and all kinds of support, like recovery classes and mental health services, for little to no cost,” Anna said. 

“You don't plan financially for a cancer diagnosis. It’s terrifying worrying about money on top of a scary diagnosis. So anything that can be taken off of people's plates is a huge blessing.”