A native of Birmingham, Jan McMahan enjoys staying busy by reading, weaving, knitting, walking her dog, swimming and gardening. Her latest project is remodeling her childhood home that her father built in 1953. In December 2022, Jan was diagnosed with breast cancer. She opted for a double mastectomy and then had four rounds of chemotherapy from April toJune 2023. During this time, she contacted Forge where she was paired with volunteer Catheryn Orihuela. “Catheryn Orihuela was the best cheerleader anyone could have wanted,”Jan says. She has also participated in other programs, such as ballet with Melissa Turnage, yoga and nutrition/cooking with St. Vincent’s Oncology Nutritionist Laura Rutledge and drumming with John Scalici. Jan says, “I would have liked to never have had breast cancer,” but she credits Forge and the friends she has met along her journey for changing her life in a positive way. She also wants to thank the ladies who walk with her daily, the wonderful folks at UAB Supportive Care, her Mindfulness for People with Cancer group led by Dr. Mark, Camille DeSantis and especially Cathy Lawler, whose kindness and words of wisdom have gotten her through some very challenging times.

Originally from Colombia, Maria Montoya moved to Alabaster 11 years ago. She has been practicing fashion design and industrial pattern making, with a focus on women’s clothing, for over 30 years. Since moving to Alabama, she has worked independently, offering haute couture alteration services for events such as catwalks, weddings and quinceañeras. “Through my work, I have also tried to contribute to the environment by encouraging clients to transform their dresses and thus give them different uses,” Maria says. “One of the things I love most about my job is seeing the satisfaction of my clients when they see their finished garments."