Editor’s Choice

Scotty Leamon is the public safety information officer for the Coconut Creek Police Department. The Coconut Creek police department employs more than a dozen veterans, including Creek native Scott Hysell, an officer who served in the Army from 2011 to 2014. While he was stationed in Afghanistan, a 250-pound homemade explosive device went off underneath

Photos by Eduardo Schneider A runner and a self-described “health nut,” Howard Mintz avoids junk food. When he does indulge, only one snack will do: popcorn. “I like popcorn, but he loves popcorn,” his wife, Lisa, says of Howard’s passion. “I enjoy it, but I don’t go crazy over it. He has the palate. He knows

Margate-Coconut Creek Fire Department Capt. Matt Whiteshield remembers hearing about a 7-year-old boy who was visiting his grandmother for Christmas a few years ago. He was upset because he wouldn’t be home for Christmas and thought Santa Claus wouldn’t be able to find him. But Whitefield made sure Santa paid him a special visit. “His

Steven Gurowitz is at the top of his game. Known for his high-end contemporary home interiors that make spaces sing for affluent clients, he and his firm, Interiors by Steven G, have nearly 120 projects in the pipeline. “We are at a stage now that we don’t have to chase,” he says. “Our business is

Profession: Actress/improvisational comedian/breast cancer activist Residence: Hollywood Age: 35 Diagnosed: September 2014, age 31 Treated at: University of Miami Health System’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center The Discovery “My mother passed away at age 63 from ovarian cancer in July 2013. After she died, I decided to get a preventative double mastectomy. I had tested for

Inside her Coconut Creek home, Irmgard Estelrrich concocts elaborate cake creations: a Louis Vuitton bag, Mickey Mouse ears, a typewriter, even a Wonder Woman-themed cake. That one might be her favorite. “The Wonder Woman cake was awesome,” Estelrrich says. “When I delivered it, they had a special place for it. It was on a pedestal.

Residence: Palm Beach Gardens Occupation: Vice president of business development, Palm Beach group, Tenet Healthcare Age: 37 Diagnosed: December 2016, age 35 Treated at: Good Samaritan Medical Center, West Palm Beach The Discovery “I went in to my [gynecologist’s] office for my annual physical, and I expected to walk out with a prescription for birth control

Residence: Tamarac Occupation: Stay-at-home mother Age: 39 Diagnosed: June 2017 Treated at: Holy Cross Hospital, Fort Lauderdale The Discovery “I had a botched breast reduction surgery in 2004, which left me with monstrous amounts of scar tissue. So, I’ve always had lumps and bumps. When I got pregnant with my daughter, the lumps moved all over

Residence: Fort Lauderdale Occupation: Lawyer/sports radio host, 790 The Ticket (WAXY-AM) Age: 35 Diagnosed: November 2016 Treated at: Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa The Discovery “I was sitting on the couch with my then-boyfriend (now, fiancé). He was trying to get my attention, joking around, and he poked the side of my breast by accident. He goes,

Residence: Boca Raton Occupation: Clinical sales representative, Cranial Technologies Age: 38 Diagnosed: February 2015 Treated at: Lynn Cancer Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital The Discovery “It was the week I was due to deliver my daughter, Saylor. I felt a lump that I assumed was a milk duct, so I showed it to my

Residence: Coconut Creek Occupation: Owner, UnBRCAble Boutique Age: 35 Diagnosed: January 2004, age 21, as BRCA2-positive Treated at: Broward Health Imperial Point, Fort Lauderdale The Discovery “My aunt passed away at 30 of breast cancer, so we knew we had to do checks early. In my first self-breast exam [at 18], I found a lump. The

• A week before my interview at the University of Chicago for a plastic-surgery residency, I received an email saying I needed to prepare a five-minute presentation about myself. One of my slides showed a photo of me as a child, holding a stethoscope and listening to my dad’s heart. That was the picture that