October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and one local survivor is sharing her story in the hopes of saving others.

Kara Rizzardi is an assistant clinical professor of nursing at Sacred Heart University.

“This is truly what I love," Rizzardi says. "I love my students here like they’re my own children."

She was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2017.

Although she beat the disease and is currently thriving, Rizzardi says she'll be in treatment for the rest of her life.

“There is no cure for metastatic breast cancer," Rizzardi says. "There are treatment options, but the funding is extremely low."

In addition to teaching, she’s also on the board of the Cancer Couch Foundation, a nonprofit that puts 100% of its donations toward Metastatic breast cancer research.

“I think we can find a cure," Rizzardi says. "If we have enough funding, we can find a cure."

Dr. Richard Zelkowitz is director of Breast Medical Oncology at the Hartford Healthcare Cancer Institute.

He says new treatments for metastatic breast cancer patients seem to come out every few months, but getting a mammogram every year and speaking with doctors remains critical for women.

“There are clearly too many people who still die from breast cancer," Zelkowitz says. "The fight continues every day."