Under the Ribbon | Kansas City, Missouri, man beat breast cancer, then lost his daughter to it

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson is covering a month-long series for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, "Under the Ribbon". She was diagnosed last year at 26 years old. Share your story idea with Alyssa.

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When most people hear breast cancer, they think about a woman being diagnosed. 

That wasn't the case for Dan Harmon. He was on vacation when he noticed skin changes.

"I noticed the left side of my chest was dried out looking. I didn't feel anything different...didn't feel a lump or anything," Dan said.

Dan thought it may have been related to shaving or running. He monitored it for a couple of months.

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He went to the doctor the week of Thanksgiving in 2024. Doctors didn't feel a lump either but told him he could get a mammogram.

“I didn’t even know a man could get a mammogram," Dan said. "I’ve renamed them 'manograms'."

Dan was diagnosed with an early stage of breast cancer. He caught it early enough that he didn't have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation.

He said, "Everybody kept asking me — why did you go in? I didn't know the significance of that until later. I've yet to meet another stage one man. I meet a lot of men who have breast cancer, but it’s usually later stages because they didn’t know to go in."

According to the World Health Organization, 0.5 to 1% of breast cancers occur in men, and it's usually caught in later stages. 

"I had to make the decision. Do I do a lumpectomy? Do I do a mastectomy? I'm like, what? Wait a minute," Dan said.

A lumpectomy is a breast-tissue conserving surgery. A mastectomy removes both breasts.

Without chemotherapy or radiation, Dan thought that would be the end of his journey.

"Because as a man getting breast cancer, they recommended my two daughters get checked. My oldest daughter, Adrienne, was diagnosed with stage three," Dan said.
 
They became a rare father-daughter duo with a diagnosis neither of them saw coming.

Adrienne was 37 years old when she was diagnosed.

"We rang our bells and thought we beat it," Dan said.

Credit: Dan Harmon

However, in July, Adrienne went to the hospital for a procedure. Following complications, she never came out. 

She passed away in August at 39 years old.

"We prayed every day. Adrienne said she was angry at the situation but wasn't angry at God. Her courage at the end when we were told we were out of options," Dan said.

Dan and Adrienne quickly became the number one fundraisers for the American Cancer Society’s ''Making Strides' walk in Kansas City and surpassed $27,000.

Credit: Dan Harmon

"I talked to my youngest daughter, who said, 'Dad, you really have to keep doing this. I think Adrienne would want you to," he said.

Dan said his family sees glimpses of Adrienne every day.

"One of the stories I love. Adrienne agreed to be in the Hallmark movie they filmed in Kansas City on the basis that she had a truck. Then, after agreeing to be in the movie, she had to find friends who had a truck," he shared.

Adrienne was an extra in "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story," filmed in Kansas City and released in 2024.

When her father thinks of the reasons he should smile, it’s Adrienne. 

Credit: Hallmark Media

I said, "I'm looking at you thinking how rare it is for a man to get a breast cancer diagnosis — for a father to fight alongside his daughter. What would be your message?"

"I thank God every day for the 39 years I had Adrienne. It was great. Try not to focus on what you’re not gonna have. Earth is temporary. Our life here is short," Dan said.

I asked him, "When you think of what is Dan gonna do now? What has this inspired you to do or how to live?"

Dan said, "Be a little more like Adrienne. Say yes. Figure out the details later."
 
Dan hopes his story inspires men to spot the signs of breast cancer early, including skin changes in the chest and not wait to get checked out. 

He is now a big advocate for funding cancer research.

Dan shared that his third grandchild is on the way. She’ll be named Adrienne, after her "TT".

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