DO YOU HEAR US?

Join us for our
6TH Annual STAGE4CHANGE

Thursday | September 24,2026

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM @ THE LEGACY CASTLE
POMPTON PLAINS, NJ

PURCHASE TICKET OR TABLE OF 8

SPONSOR OPPORTUNITIES

STAGE4CHANGE MISSION
To give our LESLIE'S WEEK Stage 4 MBC Honorees a voice in their diagnosis, treatment, and living results by increasing their understanding of the language in communicating with those who treat them in their MBC quest for longevity. This is an opportunity for attendees to gain an understanding of the unspoken frustrations of MBC patients.
STAGE4CHANGE VISION
To host a workshop where LESLIE'S WEEK STAGE 4 MBC Honoree women and their husband caregivers are the presenters and whose audience, the Medical Community, Hospitals, Oncologists, Researchers, Pharmaceuticals, Nurse Navigators, and others are the listeners. To produce a STAGE4CHANGE Live Stream that is available throughout the Medical and Pharmaceutical Communities.
Ticket Prices include a Continental Breakfast, a 10-star Buffet Lunch, Cash Bar, Break Time Snacks, Beverages, White Glove Service, and Free Parking
Complimentary Tickets for LESLIE’S WEEK Honoree MBC Women are available by email to sandra@lesliesweek.org
Best Western Plus Fairfield Executive Inn
216 US Highway 46, Fairfield, NJ 07004
Free Shuttle Service to The Legacy Castle
Nightly rate $135 + Tax
Other Accommodations To Be Announced.
The Legacy Castle
141 Route 23 South, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444 (map)
The Legacy Castle is a truly unique, unparalleled setting to celebrate momentous occasions. The castle exudes an aura of classic elegance and the grandeur of a royal palace, reminiscent of mansions built during the gilded age of the late 19th century.

stage4change agenda

This year, we honor the unseen emotional, physical, financial, and medical forces that shape the daily lives of women living with metastatic breast cancer. Just as powerful currents move beneath the surface of the sea, our honorees navigate forces that are often invisible to the world yet demand extraordinary strength. CURRENTS OF COURAGE celebrates their resilience, their families’ steadfast support, and the scientific currents driving critical advances in MBC treatment.

Registration, Name Tags and Continental Breakfast
Welcome & Introductions
Champaign Toast to Celebrate STAGE4CHANGE, our Speakers, & our Guests , Sandra Gunn
THE CURRENT OF DISCOVERY: Innovations Changing the MBC Landscape.
What patients need that Science must hear. The patient voice directly informs research priorities.
Gissoo DeCotiis, Former Global Advocate, Daiichi Sankyo
LIVING INSIDE THE INVISIBLE CURRENT: The Emotional Reality of MBC
SPEAKER TBA
Navigating unseen pain, energy budgeting, and identity shifts.
POWER IN THE UNDERFLOW: Finding Agency in a Life You Don’t Control
SPEAKER TBA
How women reclaim autonomy in a medicalized existence.
PERFORMANCE - LESLIE’S WEEK 2018 ALUM DAUGHTER
Kamryn Ward
Song to be Announced
11:10 TO 11:25 - CURRENTS BENEATH THE SURFACE: What Partners Carry and Rarely Say
SPEAKER TBA - The caregiver’s emotional and invisible burdens
11:25 – 11:40 – THE STRENGTH TO STAY STEADY: Male Grief, Fear, and Identity in MBC
SPEAKER TBA - Honoring vulnerable experiences men rarely voice.
11:40 – 12:00 – WHEN THE CURRENT SHIFTS: Preparing Emotionally for What’s Ahead
SPEAKER TBA - Gentle, honest conversations about anticipatory grief.
LAKEISHA WHIPPLE, a Southern Maryland Vocalist singing the 1988 Bette Midler song, “WIND BENEATH MY WINGS”
A time to nourish both body and spirit, fostering connections among attendees and speakers.
AFTERNOON PROGRAM IS IN DEVELOPMENT
LESLIE’S WEEK CHOIR - Celebrating the voices of strength and hope through song.
Honoree Kids Concludes the STAGE4CHANGE Afternoon Session. Our LW Kids are living the MBC life with their Mothers.
Elliana Higley, 2022 Honoree Daughter, Concertmaster - SONG TO BE ANNOUNCED
Cocktails and appetizers - An opportunity for reflection, connection, and informal conversations to close the day on a note of unity and compassion.