We can’t believe it has been ten years since the very first Beyond Boobs! calendar model was chosen for our annual A Calendar to Live By! Our calendar is also a health guide in disguise and offers a year of hope and inspiration, along with reminders to put your health first. We are beyond grateful to our generous sponsors, as well as the 100-plus calendar models who have graciously represented BB! and their fellow Boobers! over the years.
During the next several weeks on the blog you will meet the Boobers! who were chosen as calendar models for A Calendar to Live By 2017. You are also hereby invited to join us at the Pink Carpet Gala on Saturday, September 17, as we unveil this year’s calendar. See you there!
After feeling a lump during a self-exam, Deirdra (Dee) Sanchez made an appointment with her doctor, who 
recommended a mammogram and ultrasound. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in late December of 2013.
When Dee’s oncologist gave her a copy of A Calendar to Live By 2014, she had no idea she would one day be gracing its pages as a calendar model. Dee has drawn strength and support from her Boober! sisters and is honored to spread the group’s message of compassion and love.
Dee works as a warranty manager for Chesapeake Homes. She and her husband Tom have been married for 26 years. The couple lives in Virginia Beach and has four children: Danielle (24), Jessica (22), Jacquelyn (20), and Thomas Junior (17). The Sanchez family also includes two dogs, Max and Mandy, both Jack Russell terrier-beagle mixes.
Here Dee shares the two most daring moments of her life, as well as what she would do if she met singing legend Pat Benatar.
What is the most daring thing you have ever done?
I have two things, since I can’t decide which is the most daring. The first is singing the national anthem at Harbor Park for a Tides game. The second is zip-lining at the Virginia Adventure Park.
If you could meet anyone from history, who would it be and what would you do together?
Well, after thinking about it, I really wouldn’t necessarily need to go back in history. My ideal person to meet would be Pat Benatar, due to the fact she set the stage for all female rock/pop stars. What would we do? But of course, we would perform together across the country in every state.
What was your first summer job as a teen?
A nanny for two kids.
What is guaranteed to always make you smile?
My husband always makes me smile. If he is not around, then listening to music will always make me smile.
What does being selected as a calendar model mean to you?
Being selected as a calendar model is a great privilege and honor. It means I have an avenue to help give back to Beyond Boobs! and share with many other women that have (or have not) been diagnosed and share with them about Beyond Boobs! and how they can help their loved ones as they go through their journey.
What was the most impactful moment of your calendar model photo shoot?
The most impactful moment had to be the whole experience. I smiled and laughed during the whole shoot and I felt beautiful inside and out because the crew was wonderful in making me feel so comfortable, even if I did make one of them cry. That just showed me that Beyond Boobs! truly does care and wants us to feel special.