LFSA Youth Program

The LFSA Youth Program provides support to teens and young adults with LFS (ages 13-25) by giving them opportunities to learn more about the condition from experts in the field in fun, engaging, and positive ways such as Youth Workshops, webinars, and quarterly Youth Newsletters. Very importantly, the Youth Program facilitates friendships between young adults living with LFS, creating a great support network amongst those who truly understand!

Meet Your Youth Program Co-chairs

Hi, everyone!

My name is Isabel (left), and I live in Brasília, the capital of Brazil, with my family. I’m a lawyer specializing in Health Law. I was diagnosed with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome in 2017 when I had breast cancer in my twenties. I was fortunate to receive the LFS diagnosis from a kind and supportive doctor, which sparked my journey to learn more and seek support—leading me to the LFS Association.

In 2019, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Youth Workshop in Boston for the first time. It was a life-changing experience for me. I got to see the amazing work of LFSA up close and made lasting friendships with other young people at the event. It gave me hope and reassured me that I’m not alone.

Since then, I’ve been committed to offering support, sharing information, and raising awareness for those with LFS, as well as their families and friends. I know that dealing with cancer and Li-Fraumeni can be tough; we need to stay resilient every day.

My goal is to help you feel as empowered and hopeful as I do and to work towards a world with better information. Knowledge is power, and we want you to be part of the LFSA family!

If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re stronger together. You’re not alone!

e-mail: icosta@lfsassociation.org
Instagram: @lfsabrasil and @belcosta

Bonjour!

My name is Bárbara Almeida (right) and I am originally from Brasília, Brazil, where I work as a lawyer. I moved to Paris in 2022, where I currently work as a paralegal.

In early 2021, I was diagnosed with Li-Fraumeni syndrome and, following medical recommendations, chose to undergo preventive mastectomy. During this process, I realized that the topic is still a major taboo, which made it difficult to find other women who had undergone the same procedure to share experiences. After this journey, I decided that I wanted to be a reference for other women in similar situations.

It was at that moment that I joined the LFS Association where I found incredible people who became my chosen family. This space provided me with understanding, support, and care beyond what I could have imagined.

I can be reached at balmeida@lfsassociation.org.