Photograph courtesy of Friends of Winship
The first time we walked through the doors of Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University, my husband, Eduardo, and I were terrified. Eduardo was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer at 34; we were 16 months into our marriage and decades younger than the other couples in the waiting room.
Luckily, we live in Atlanta, a few miles from one of the best cancer treatment centers in the country. As Georgia’s only National Cancer Institute–designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winship conducts groundbreaking research that gives patients like my husband access to life-changing clinical trials. Eduardo is currently enrolled in a clinical trial at Winship that uses targeted immunotherapies as a first-line treatment, instead of chemotherapy. His most recent PET scan showed a complete response to the treatment, and he is on track to be in remission in May.
But beyond cutting-edge care, the community that supports Winship may be its greatest strength. Leading the charge is Friends of Winship, a volunteer group that organizes community-based fundraising events. Its signature event is the annual Fashion a Cure fashion show; its 14th iteration will take place Tuesday, April 28, at the historic Piedmont Driving Club with individual and group tickets available.
Photograph courtesy of Friends of Winship
Instead of professional models, the stars of this runway are cancer survivors, caregivers, and Winship’s staff, including doctors and nurses. Styled by one of 20 participating Atlanta boutiques, each model wears a vibrant look that reflects their personal style, and each carries a rose whose color symbolizes their specific connection to cancer: red for survivors, yellow for caregivers and family members, white for Winship’s care team members. Every year, as the event comes to a close, one of Winship’s cancer survivors takes to the runway. As they walk, a video plays sharing their survival story, ending the night with a moment of hope and resilience.
Photograph courtesy of Friends of Winship
Lauren Tilashalski joined the Fashion a Cure committee in 2024, following her husband Carter’s remission from leukemia. “In 2025, my husband and I walked the runway with his oncologist, Dr. Anthony Hunter,” she says. “After the many hard conversations we all had, to see us celebrating together less than two years later was a beautiful moment that helped us find joy in the aftermath of cancer.” In 2025, the event set a fundraising record of $465,000; organizers hope to exceed that number this year.
Winship has given so much to Eduardo and me—as well as to so many others who are navigating life after a cancer diagnosis. We are excited to attend this year’s event and are looking forward to the day when we can walk the Fashion a Cure runway together, celebrating survivorship and community.
