Andrea Francis, 53, of Buffalo, N.Y., had just gotten some stones delivered for her house. She wanted to work on it. She didn't want to interrupt her life with chemo and radiation. Her mother had just died of breast cancer.

So when doctors recommended a lumpectomy for the non-invasive ductal carcinoma, stage 0, medium grade, she opted for a double mastectomy instead.

“Statistically, the odds were 99 percent in my favor to be cured,” said Francis, who left today on a weeklong Harley-Davidson ride along the Pacific Coast Highway to raise funds and awareness of breast cancer in young women.

Her story is powerful. Contribute to her cause, and read more about her, here.