Read in Spanish

Tucsonan Lee Collenberg, a self-titled "behind-the-curtains wizard," never spent much time in the spotlight.

As a longtime event producer, Collenberg was the one setting up the circumstances that placed the attention on somebody else — never the other way around.

But last summer, when she discovered a lump in her breast, everything began to shift.

"You're not sure what you're really looking for when you do those exams until the moment you find something that is definitely not right," Collenberg said.

The lump turned out to be a tumor that doctors told her could spread to her lymph nodes, but hadn't yet metastasized to her other organs.

At age 44, she was diagnosed with stage 2B breast cancer — news that she said wasn't ideal but was "a whole lot safer than catching it any later."

While her prognosis is very good, Collenberg said the process has put her through hell.

"In the beginning, it's panic," she said. "You become a lab rat, you go through all of these procedures, and you just kind of forget who you are."

In the middle of chemotherapy and the swell of support and community, Collenberg noticed that much of that support felt like it was being given from the lens of the person giving the support, instead of the cancer patient themselves.

She wasn't spending all of her time thinking about sunshine, rainbows or positivity, and there were some days when she just wanted to be a "cranky, bald bitch."

"It's, 'Be grateful, be strong, be thankful,'" she said. "And (at the treatment centers, there are) random scriptures on the wall (in) a place that's really science and medicine."

Collenberg completed chemotherapy less than a month ago, and despite doctors encouraging her to undergo breast reconstruction surgery, she opted instead for a double mastectomy.

She said the thought of going through another procedure just didn't feel worth it.

"Take them," she said. "They've betrayed me. I'm just gonna 'yeet' them."

Yeet is a term used primarily by Gen Zers to describe discarding or throwing something away with enthusiastic force.

This statement was Collenberg's lightbulb moment and the first time she felt connected to a mantra or decision throughout the harrowing process.

That was the moment that "Yeet That Teet" was born. Collenberg said its the answer to a system that can "forget the person in the pink ribbon" and aims to create space for people to process their experience in a way that feels real.

Collenberg's brand aims to shelve toxic positivity and "reclaim the conversation around breast cancer, mastectomies and body autonomy — one T-shirt at a time."

While Yeet That Teet currently offers T-shirts, tank tops and even "kick cancer to the curb" high-tops — with the first round of preorders closing Friday — the brand also aims to create support systems within the breast cancer community.

Collenberg has also created a buddy system called "port pals" that connects breast cancer patients in remission or recovery with people who are newly diagnosed. Whether it's getting together for coffee or just offering tips and advice over text, the port pals concept is meant to be a more comfortable, intimate kind of support.

"You don't have to show up to a big support group, you don't have to wear pink and identify yourself as the cancer kid," she said. "You can just go have coffee and see how it goes."

Collenberg believes it's important for these patients to have a full lifecycle of support.

"You have your mastectomy, and you come home, and there's a drawer full of bras that are no longer needed," she said. "And that's another moment of grieving."

She's excited to showcase Yeet That Teet during next week's TenWest Festival IdeaFunding pitch competition, with Collenberg beating out dozens of other entrepreneurs for the chance to pitch her company to a panel of industry judges in the hopes of bringing home a cash prize.

She'll be competing in the community-building track of the competition next Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Rialto Theatre, with the winner of each track set to be announced that night.

Yeet That Teet's outreach efforts are already expanding beyond support for breast cancer patients. Its "Bra-vo" program collects and donates gently used bras to local women's shelters or the University of Arizona's Queer Closet.

"Giving these no-longer-needed bras that still have life in them an encore," she said. "They supported you at one point, but let them support somebody else."

Collenberg feels optimistic for Yeet That Teet's future and is hopeful that the brand can become self-sustaining and not reliant on donations or grants. Either way, she knows she wants to generate enough revenue to create more good in the community.

"It's going to be that balance of selling merchandise and wanting that merchandise to still move into the cancer community with respect to intention," she said. "It's not just a money grab at the slogan."

It's also not just going to be hoodies and T-shirts. Collenberg said Yeet That Teet's next phase will involve sending care kits to breast cancer patients and keeping in contact with the recipients as they navigate their journey.

"We're gonna remind them in a month, and then two months, that their process is valid, and it's okay if they want to be a cranky bald bitch," she said. "As long as they stay committed to surviving and doing their best."

Olivia Krupp is a journalism major at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at oliviakrupp@arizona.edu.

Tucson Spotlight is a community-based newsroom that provides paid opportunities for students and rising journalists in Southern Arizona. Please support our work with a paid subscription.