As most of you know, or have probably heard, October is breast cancer awareness month. And for those of you know who me, or who have been reading the blog for a year or so, you know that this month holds a special place in my heart.
My mom died of breast cancer in 2003. And if you do the math... yes, I was only 18. I was a freshman in college when I got that dreaded phone call. I needed to come home. There wasn't much time left. I still remember it like it was yesterday.
me and mom - 1984
Without getting into too many personal details, she was first diagnosed when I was 11 (and my brother was 8). She went through chemo and radiation and surgeries and a double mastectomy and went into remission. Then it came back. In her lymph nodes. More chemo and more radiation and she went into remission. And then it came back in her lungs... and the doctors said there was nothing they could do.... which made me so mad. Why couldn't she get a lung transplant? Because "a lung transplant would be wasted on someone who's cancer could just come back somewhere else". Like I said, so incredibly mad.
She was 51 years young.
She got to see me graduate high school, but not my brother.
She missed my college graduation.
She's never met Seth. She couldn't be at our wedding.
She's never met Mason.
It's hard to tell from this photo but this was the memory candle that we had lit at our wedding in memory of my mom. It had her name on it and the years that she lived : 1951-2003. We got married on her birthday, November 7th, as a tribute to her and as a way to "tie her into the wedding"
It was a complete surprise to me but my friend Stacy bought me and all of the bridesmaids these little breast cancer angels and we all wore them on our dresses at the wedding.
And while I do believe that she is watching down on us everyday and has actually "attended" these events and "met" Seth and Mason, it's not the same. She was robbed of so much. It makes me tear up just thinking about it.
For breast cancer awareness month, my friend Katie (a Stella and Dot stylist) and I have teamed up to host an online Stella and Dot trunk show! This is the second annual breast cancer trunk show that she and I have hosted together.
This year, for breast cancer awareness month, Stella and Dot has come up with two beautiful bracelets. One is the "Resilience Cuff" and the other is called "Inspire" - they are both rose gold and simply stunning. They also have this gorgeous "HOPE necklace" and an engraveable survivor necklace as well.
And the best part? ALL net proceeds (100%!) of the breast cancer pieces goes toward the Noreen Fraser Foundation. And 10% of all other purchases goes towards breast cancer awareness.
[From www.noreenfraserfoundation.org] The mission of the Noreen Fraser Foundation (NFF), a 501c3 not for profit organization based in Los Angeles, is to raise funds for breakthrough research that advances precision medicine for the prevention and treatment of women’s cancers. Our hope is that cancer will become a manageable disease that patients will live with and not die from, until it ceases to exist.
NFF supports research for all women’s reproductive cancers (breast, ovarian, cervical and uterine/endometrial) because not only is there a strong hormonal and biological link between the women’s cancers including hereditary cancer syndromes but also because research in one type of women’s cancer oftentimes progresses research in the other types of women’s cancers. A multi-disciplinary approach and collaboration among researchers in the various fields of women’s cancers is absolutely necessary to accelerate the development of reasonable treatment options and potential cures.
While we focus on several types of cancers as opposed to just one, the research we fund is focused on making a real impact on women’s lives quickly. We feel that while a lot of money has been raised in the name of cancer, it has been divided amongst thousands of researchers and thousands of ideas diluting its impact. We believe that more money needs to be channeled to a smaller number of ideas. Focused funding and focused research will afford us the best chance to make greater strides and give this generation more than just hope to pass on to the next generation.
If you like what you see, or want to see more (spoiler alert : everything is GORGEOUS!), please feel free to shop my trunk show and help me donate money to help fund breast cancer research! (When you click the link, it will say the trunk show isn't until October 11th and while that is the official date, it is actually open right now through the end of the month - just click "shop online now".)This is the perfect opportunity to do good while adding a little sparkle in your life.
Happy shopping!
