When Indio resident Shay Moraga was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, her world shifted. And when she was declared cancer-free after treatment, she noticed that support went away just as the disease had. She knew something had to change.
Co-founded in 2018 with late fellow breast cancer survivor Aileen Alvarez, Shay’s Warriors Life After Cancer sought to inspire, inform, empower, and help heal survivors and their families by offering resources, workshops, and events that focus on health, fitness, and the mind-body connection.
“Everyone is there for you when you’re going through cancer, but that all goes away once you’re no longer in treatment,” Moraga says. “There’s not a lot of support for people in the life after cancer process. From dealing with trauma and scars to acclimating to a new normal and going back to work, there are all of these things that no one prepares you for.”
A robust calendar of in-person and virtual events helps build connection for Shay’s Warriors.
An educational live discussion, Talk Listen Share covers topics that focus on moving forward, reconnecting, and living life after treatment ends to help bridge the emotional gap in understanding cancer’s impact.
For fitness, Eisenhower Health collaborates with Shay’s Warriors to produce Move2Heal at the Eisenhower Lucy Curci Cancer Center in Rancho Mirage. Launching on Nov. 6, 2025, Thursday in The Gardens offers different fitness classes and activities on the lawn of The Gardens on El Paseo.
To find emotional support, Coffee & Connection hosts in-person and virtual group sessions alternating between Sottovoce Coffee and Wine and Varraco Coffee + Roasters in Palm Desert.
Men seeking community can sign up for the Yo Bro Experience, a support group that aims to build awareness and normalize conversations around men’s health, cancer, and mental health.
In addition to regular programs, Shay’s Warriors offers workshops on topics ranging from art therapy to trauma to boundaries hosted by renowned experts and licensed professionals. They also host annual events Bosoms & Brews Fest, Taste of Tennis Indian Wells, and a pre-Mother’s Day afternoon tea.
Every year, the organization puts on two immersive, no-cost retreats for attendees selected through a nomination process: the I am Hope Survivors Reset Retreat for 40 female cancer survivors and the Yo Bro All Male Experience, a weekend for men in the mountains.
“Many people we’ve helped return as volunteers to assist others on their healing journeys,” Moraga says. “One person can make a difference in the lives of so many others. Aileen made a huge impact on my life when I was going through cancer and helped turned my mindset around. I paid it forward to someone else. Over 200 women have attended our retreats and are able to pay it forward. If you just have one person who helps pay it forward, think of how healing that becomes. Being able to do this is a gift.”
Shay’s Warriors
42215 Washington St., Suite A389, Palm Desert
shayswarriors.org
