Ann Fonfa was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 1993. She explored alternative therapies and started a study group in New York City. From summaries of the 60 or so meetings this group held, Ann posted a website in June 1999 under the name The Annie Appleseed Project. It is now a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation serving 85,000 people monthly via the Internet.

Ann has attended several hundred scientific, medical, research and advocacy meetings since 1995. She and other volunteers gather information and it is disseminated via The Annie Appleseed Project website and talks that Ann gives around the country.

Ann has been featured in magazines, interviewed on radio and TV and is the author of one published paper, “Patient Perspectives: Barriers to Complementary and Alternative Medicine Therapies Create Problems for Patients and Survivors,” published in Integrative Cancer Therapies in 2007, as well as several articles. As an independent advocate (63% of Annie Appleseed Project funds come directly from donations of $100 or less), Ann has the ability to say things most people can or will not say.

She is Florida Field Coordinator for the National Breast Cancer Coalition as well as Advocacy Chair for the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation, a member of the Society for Integrative Oncology, Susan G. Komen for the Cure LGBT National Advisory Council, etc. Ann is a 2004 graduate of Food as Medicine and CancerGuides (2004). She is the Consumer advocate on the Adverse Effects Methods Group, Cochrane Collaboration and a member of CUE—Consumers United for Evidence-based Healthcare. Ann recently served with a panel examining Comparative Effectiveness Research for Complementary/Integrative Medicine.