PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) —October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and one nonprofit organization is working to ensure women fighting cancer feel confident throughout their journey. Kara Frazier, the founder of Fighting Pretty, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer at just 26 years old in 2008.  “I actually found a lump under my armpit area. They told me I was much too young to worry, and said come back in a month or so,” Frazier said. “It turned out to be stage three cancer that had already spread to my lymph nodes.”  Now a 15-year cancer survivor, she works towards providing emotional support to women across the country in active cancer treatment through Fighting Pretty. The nonprofit provides encouragement through symbolic gifts such as mini boxing gloves that represent strength and lipstick to remind women of their beauty, as well as through chapters that offer support from women nationwide. One such woman is Valarie DeCosta, a Rhode Island resident battling terminal melanoma. Despite her diagnosis, she says she finds strength in Fighting Pretty.  “They look at me and say, ‘I don’t understand how you’re battling what you’re battling, and you’re smiling all the time, and you’re positive all the time,’ ” DeCosta said. “When they say that to me, it just makes me that much stronger to do that much more and to fight that much harder.” DeCosta is the sole in-state volunteer of the Rhode Island chapter of Fighting Pretty, where she both gives and receives support.  “I met a woman battling so many different cancers, and she just had a smile on her face,” DeCosta said. “I gave her a big hug, and I felt her energy. People like that are the reason why I keep doing what I’m doing.” The state of Rhode Island has begun contrast-enhanced mammographys at the Anne C. Pappas Center, which is a newer technique that improves the visualization of breast cancers. “By injecting intravenous contrast, we can pick up areas of blood flow, and it helps us improve our visualization of breast cancers,” the Director of Breast Imaging at the Anne C. Pappas Center Dr. Martha Mainiero said. Dr. Mainiero encourages women to schedule regular screenings to stay ahead of breast cancer. Categories: News, Rhode Island