Maddie Richter, a senior at Community School of Davidson, grows flowers in her backyard garden, arranges them into bouquets and delivers them to women battling breast cancer.

Her nonprofit, Petals for Pink, started from her own family's experience. Richter's mother, Stefanie Richter, was diagnosed with lobular breast cancer in early 2021 after a mammogram she nearly skipped during the height of COVID-19.

Maddie was in seventh grade when her parents walked her and her older sister to a pond with a gazebo in the River Run neighborhood to break the news. She told Lake Norman Publications she remembers every detail of that conversation.

"I wanted to make their journey a little more bright," Maddie said of the women she now delivers bouquets to.

Stefanie Richter underwent a double mastectomy and two reconstruction surgeries. Her lymph nodes showed no spread, sparing her from chemotherapy. But she spent five years on a daily aromatase inhibitor, a hormone therapy drug that reduces the risk of recurrence. The medication caused severe bone and joint pain that made getting out of bed difficult.

She completed treatment and celebrated five years cancer-free in May 2026.

Maddie said she could not think of her mother as recovered until the medication's side effects began to fade in summer 2026. That shift in perspective led her to start Petals for Pink.

"Those are the moments you really need people there," Maddie said. "I realized that really quick."

Her bouquets feature several shades of pink, with roses, zinnias, occasional sunflowers and white filler flowers. She grows the flowers from seed and has planted tulip bulbs to start deliveries earlier in spring. When garden options run thin, she supplements with wildflowers from nearby fields and donations from neighbors.

Recipients are nominated through the Petals for Pink website. One of the first deliveries went to a woman receiving a free haircut from a local hairdresser after losing her hair during treatment. Stefanie Richter said the woman turned around, saw Maddie holding the bouquet and asked, "This is for me?" Stefanie called the reaction "something else" for such a small gesture.

Another recipient asked Maddie for a hug.

The nonprofit has begun accepting donations, which Maddie hopes will let her purchase flowers and continue deliveries through winter. She plans to attend college close to home so Petals for Pink can keep operating.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Residents can nominate a recipient or donate through the Petals for Pink website.