Jess Collier was blown away by her incredible care team at City of Hope® Atlanta. The experience prompted her to organize a fundraiser with her employer, Acuity Brands.
The moment Jess Collier met City of Hope Atlanta oncologist Delia Radovich, M.D., she knew she was in the right place. Six months later, Jess completed her last chemo treatment for breast cancer. She was instrumental in directing her employer, Acuity Brands, to support City of Hope. We asked Jess to share more about her experience and why City of Hope is so special to her.
How did you become a patient at City of Hope?
Jess: I discovered a lump in my breast in December 2023 and sought care at another hospital in Atlanta. My care team was sending me all over town for various appointments, and I was waiting months for test results. It was so stressful. A concerned friend set up a second opinion appointment for me with Dr. Radovich, M.D.
City of Hope didn’t feel like a hospital, and everyone I met was super friendly and caring. After I switched my care to City of Hope, everything changed. I went from not eating and being afraid I was going to die to receiving care from people who felt like my sisters and friends.
Tell us about your experience as a patient.
Jess: I had biopsies, then chemo, then surgeries after I was done with chemo (thyroidectomy and bilateral mastectomy). The convenience of all my care happening under one roof was unbelievable. I felt like I was in a hotel because everyone took such good care of me. Cancer treatment wasn’t fun or exciting. But the care team made it easy for me.
My last chemo treatment was in November 2024. When I rang the bell on the infusion floor to signify this milestone, so many people from City of Hope came to watch. The hugs I received that day made me feel incredibly loved.
Soon after, you were part of a fundraising project through your company, Acuity Brands.
Jess: Every year our company chooses a charity to support. Since October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the VP of our team, who knew my story, let me pick the charity. I picked City of Hope. I wasn’t able to be there, and it broke my heart — I was still in treatment and immunocompromised. So, I recorded a two-minute video, sharing what City of Hope meant to me.
In January 2025, Acuity donated $16,000 to City of Hope Atlanta, plus 1,000 patient care kits valued at $10,000. Half of the kits went to adults at City of Hope Atlanta, and the other half to children receiving care at City of Hope in Duarte, California.
It made me feel valued as a person, not just an employee — the outpouring of support, all of them rallying for me. And I was very happy that we could give to City of Hope, which has done so much for me.
And you’re still involved — talking to people who are getting diagnosed, answering their questions. What motivates you to keep going?
Jess: When something like this happens, you ask why me? What did I do wrong? For me, it was how can I make this right? How could I turn this situation around and make it worth something? And that’s why I’ve been so passionate about sharing my story and advocating for others to get their mammograms, get second opinions.
I don’t want to stop. I want to continue. I want to volunteer. I want to be the person who helps and talks to new patients who are scared, like I was.
What would you like others to know about breast cancer and about City of Hope?
Jess: Everybody’s diagnosis is different. Everybody reacts differently to treatment — not everybody is going to have the same story. But know that you are not a statistic. You can beat this, and I want to show people there is proof.
I found my lump in December, but was not diagnosed until May because I was too patient. If I had known what I know now, I would have been diagnosed sooner, and my first stop would have been City of Hope.
“It made me feel valued as a person, not just an employee — the outpouring of support, all of them rallying for me.” — Jess Collier, City of Hope Atlanta grateful patient