A native of Montevallo, Allyson Welcome is the mother of one son, Milan. She also highlights her “daughter-in-love” Julie and her sister Audrey. Allyson worked as a utilization review nurse for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama and is now retired. In her free time, she enjoys going to concerts, RV camping, traveling, listening to music, going to the spa, gym, shopping and cooking. Allyson’s cancer journey began in May 2018, when her yearly mammogram revealed something suspicious on her right breast, but the tissue biopsy results were benign. It wasn’t until May 2019, after she had a recommended outpatient surgery, that she was diagnosedwith Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (Stage 0) in June 2019, at the age of 57. After exploring various treatment options, she decided to proceed with a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction in January 2020. In the midst of her breast cancer diagnosis, Allyson was also diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in September 2022. Following an abnormal biopsy, she chose to have her implants removed in January 2023. She was surprised when her pathology report came back, revealing that her left breast also had DCIS and that her right breast implant had two pinholes in it. This news gave her much needed reassurance that she made the right decision. In April 2023, she received 15 rounds of radiation treatments and was placed on an anti-hormone drug for five years due to her pathology report showing estrogen positivity. She is now one year and nine months breast cancer-free. “I made a scrapbook of my breast cancer journey to be able to reflect back on how far I have come by the grace of God,” said Allyson.

It all started when Ericka Murdock’s or “E.Louise's” passion for fashion was fully ignited after being tasked by family and friends to style and design custom pieces for their wardrobe. As a result, her blog “ShapElyLouise” was born and a community that embraced and empowered women with curves all over the world was forged. A native of Montgomery, Ericka has been dressing clients who turn to her for show-stopping, magnificent creations for over 10 years! An encourager at heart, Ericka’s unique experiences have helped to mold her into the radical, forward-thinking, creative and social advocate she is today. To her, everyday—every minute, is an opportunity to teach women how to celebrate their bodies, regardless of size, and to live a life that’s fused with color, culture and confidence without compromise.