2017 Latina of Influence | Carrie Madrid
Hispanic Lifestyle is pleased to recognize Founder & President The CARE Project, Inc. Carrie Madrid as a 2017 Latina of Influence. Ms. Madrid along with our entire list of 2017 Latinas of Influence are invited to participate in Hispanic Lifestyle’s 2017 Latina Conference taking place April 5 – 6, 2017 in Ontario, California.
Carrie Madrid
Originally from the Bay Area of California, Carrie attended Empire School of Business in Santa Rosa, where she completed a Medical Transcription certificate program. Having become a mother at age 18, it was imperative that Carrie got some solid skills under her belt and enter the workforce. Upon graduation from Empire, she began working in the medical administrative field. After working several years in medical billing, Carrie found her perfect job as a Clinical Conference Coordinator with Paradigm Outcomes, a catastrophic case management corporation. Following her divorce, Carrie decided to relocate to Riverside, California to raise her three children where the cost of living was much more manageable than the Bay Area. Carrie still works full time for Paradigm and plans to work for the company until the day she retires.
In 2011, Carrie became the Booster President of the John W. North High School girls’ basketball program where her daughter played basketball. She spent over 6 years serving in both the President and Treasurer Role. It was during this role that Carrie was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in 2012. She had a complete peace about her diagnosis and felt it was a responsibility given to her to show others how to deal with a life threatening diagnosis. Her motto quickly became “Laughter and Lip Gloss”. Her basketball family kept her inspired, supported and motivated to fight through multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation and reconstruction. It was during chemotherapy that Carrie realized she really wished she had another breast cancer survivor to talk with. In making friends with other patients throughout treatment, she learned many patients lacked good insurance, emotional support and everyday necessities became luxuries to those unable to work full time. Since Carrie worked from home, she maintained her income throughout most of her cancer extravaganza and felt the need to give back. It was then she decided she wanted to start a nonprofit to support male and female breast cancer patients undergoing and recovering from treatment. (Thecareprojectinc.org)
The CARE Project, Inc. was founded in 2014 and is a 501c3 public charity. Not one person takes a salary and TCP is funded by private donations from friends, family, coworkers and grants. 100% of what is raised goes directly into programs to support patients. Programs include: Survivor Social Club (Support Group), Chemo CARE packages, Prom Project, Adopt a Family Christmas Campaign, Pillar Grant & more. TCP recently opened an office in downtown Riverside and survivors are so thankful to have a peaceful, non-clinical place to gather. Carrie’s greatest wish is to continue to be an inspiration to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients for many years to come. She says it is ironic to be called a “survivor” now when in actuality, today she is living each day and before cancer, she was merely surviving.
