Brought Together By Breast Cancer, 13 Women Tell Their Stories In New Book

By Cherri Gregg

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Tonight thirteen women brought together by their diagnoses will celebrate the release of a new book that tells their stories of survival.

"I never thought I had a story to tell," says Traci Smith, who was diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer in April 2013. She says fear, devastation and anxiety followed.

"I needed something to make myself feel better while I was going through this," she says.

So during chemo, Smith says she'd get dressed up, wear a custom wig, eyelashes lashes, painted nails and make up. Pretty soon she decided to spread the love by founding "Traci's BIO" (beautiful inside out). The non-profit holds beautification events for women dealing with breast cancer.

"We don't focus on the scariness of dying," she says.

Traci's BIO has brought together dozens of women.

"It's really a sisterhood like no other," says Smith.

Listen to full interview with Traci...

Smith was approached to tell her story and convinced a dozen other ladies to join her in a book she titled "The Pink Sister Chronicles," with the goal of inspiring others.

"When someone reads this book, they're going to laugh, they're going to cry, they'll have an aha moment," she says.

Amber Taylor, 22, is one of the breast cancer survivors featured in the book.

"I received the breast cancer at the age of 16 -- well really 15, I was misdiagnosed," she says.

Taylor says she was an athletic high-schooler when she discovered a lump in her breast.

"I had it checked out and they were like -- it's nothing," she says.

But six month later that lump was the size of a baseball. Taylor was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive Phyllodes sarcoma tumor.

"The doctors told me I didn't even have that long to live," says Taylor.

Listen to full interview with Amber...

After multiple surgeries and other treatment, Taylor's body eventually healed. Her spirit- well, that was another matter. That's when a friend introduced Taylor to Traci Smith and she joined Tracy's BIO and began to share her story.

"We have created a sisterhood where you're comfortable, you can have great conversation, you can ask anything," says Smith.

The "Pink Sisters" will share their stories tonight at Independence Blue Cross at 19th and Market Streets. More at TracisBio.org.