Stories of Courage & Inspiration

The Beauty Foundation honors several Women of Courage each year. Please join us in supporting these brave women and their families as they endure their journey through treatment.

 

Women of Courage 2011

Amber

Amber was diagnosed at 31.Amber, a mommy and step-mommy to four beautiful children was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 31, one week before her daughter’s first birthday. She underwent a double mastectomy, four months of chemotherapy and will be receiving adjunctive therapy for the next five years.Her advice to newly diagnosed patients facing the mental and physical challenges of treatment is to “take on any necessary treatment and/or procedures full force. Don’t be afraid and don’t despair. Let your faith take a strong hold in your life.”“Actually getting the chemotherapy was uneventful, it was always the week afterwards that was the hardest on my body. Losing my hair and not being able to live a ‘normal’ active life with my children was the most difficult part.”It’s not a matter of ‘if’ something bad will happens to you; it’s how you choose to grow from it and live your life. It will be the hardest thing you ever go through; but once treatment is over, food tastes better, flowers smell better, you hold onto your kids tighter, and you just love even harder.”

 

Tammy

Tammy is a 37-year-old single mother of a beautiful 17-year-old daughter Alyssa.“I first discovered that I had breast cancer on August 17, 2009; but it wasn’t until later, after my mastectomy, that I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer that had spread to my bones. Throughout the entire process, I was lucky enough to never be sick after treatments. Even to this day, I feel strong despite everything I went through. Being diagnosed with any type of cancer is overwhelming and hard to accept, but as long as you keep your head up and remain positive you will eventually get through it and become a survivor just like me.”

 

Phyllis

Phyllis is a physical education/health teacher at Red Bank Middle school in Red Bank, NJ.“I was diagnosed with breast cancer (DCIS) in October 2010. Fortunately, my cancer was stage 0 and non invasive. I had a mastectomy in November, and I’m now looking at reconstructive surgery perhaps this summer.”I am a very physically active person in my job and in my life in general. I love to dance, skate, jog, bike, yoga, and power-walk. So it was difficult for me to be sedentary.”I took some time off of work to heal, but I’m now back at work. My students know that I am in a healing process, so they’re always volunteering to demonstrate and careful about flying soccer and kick balls. I’m so grateful to be getting back to work and slowly getting back to ‘me.’”At this stage of my journey with breast cancer, I’m beginning to feel like myself again. I’m able to work all through the day and still have energy left over for whatever the evening brings.”I’m threes months out of surgery now, but recovery is very different for each individual. I remember just wishing I would get my strength back. Today, I feel like I have, to a great extent and for that I am so grateful. I wish I had spoken to someone who said: ‘Hey don’t worry, you’re going to be back to your old self soon.’ Perhaps I did, but I just wouldn’t hear it. The words I’d like to share are pretty straightforward: Don’t worry, you’ll be back to your fabulous self just like me.”

 

Rebecca

Rebecca was first diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in March of 2009. She was studying at Ocean County College on a STARS scholarship and working towards her Associates degree. Due to the size of her tumor and severity of the cancer she had to begin treatment immediately upon diagnosis. In September of 2009 her cancer was in remission. She went back to school and graduated with her degree June 2010. By September, the unthinkable happened and the cancer returned.“I’m currently going through more treatments, once again optimistic that the cancer will not come back. I’m looking towards a future that is bright for me and am positive about life and all that may come my way. God never gives us more than we can handle, and I know that He is in control of all things. My hope is to be able to return to school and graduate from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey with a degree in nursing.”Cancer made me appreciate the things that were normal in my life that most of us take for granted. Having cancer meant my immune system couldn’t handle the masses so I could no longer be ‘normal.’ Simple things like going to school and working regularly were no longer possible for me. Cancer made me so much closer to my family. We love and appreciate each other on a much deeper level than we did before. We know now that together we can get through anything.”Cancer has not only affected me, it has an impacted my whole family. Seemingly simple decisions, which before would have been made easily, have to be weighed carefully. Everything becomes a choice about what is most important to us. While I didn’t want my being sick to change everyone’s life, it does because they love me. My Mommy comes up from Virginia every time I go into the hospital for my longer stays to be with me. She leaves my Dad and three younger sisters at home for weeks at a time. While I feel badly because of it, my sisters and Dad don’t mind the harder times without Mom, because they love me and want me to get better and be okay.”

Women of Courage 2009

Dorothy

Dorothy is a holistic mother, wife, early-childhood music educator, singer-songwriter, and professional musician. At 38 years old, Dorothy was diagnosed with cervical cancer and took a holistic approach to treatment. After 12 months of holistic treatment, her next biopsy was negative…and at age 41 she was able to get pregnant and have a healthy baby. In May 2009, Dorothy was diagnosed with carcinoma cells in her breast and the surgeon immediately advised a double mastectomy. Dorothy is determined to fight cancer naturally. After eight months or physical therapy and nutritional counseling, her cancer markers were normal. Dorothy continues to take an all natural approach to fighting her disease.

 

Lisette

Lisette is 22 years old and has a two-year old son. Lisette came to America with the hope of securing an education and one day entering the field of law. About a year ago she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), the most aggressive form of leukemia. She’s had to endure countless rounds of chemo and hospital stays. Lisette has had to rely on the kindness of friends and family to help her take care of her son while she bravely endures chemo and its horrible side effects. She’s truly shown how tough a woman needs to be in order to fight the cancer monster while continuing to be an amazing mother.

 

Wendy

Wendy is the mother of 14-year-old Juan and nine-year-old Emily. She and her boyfriend, Rob, also share their lives with 14-year-old Dominic, 12-year-old Arianna, and 10-year-old Julianna. They have a very busy and active family life. Wendy, a resident of Long Branch, was diagnosed with breast cancer in June of 2009. Since that time, Wendy has had to undergo chemotherapy and reconstruction surgeries. She’s looking forward to finally healing from her upcoming surgeries and returning to a normal family and work life.

 

Inspiration and Courage

 

Jacklyn

Jacklyn was diagnosed on New Year’s Eve 2008, at the age of 13.

“As if being 13 isn’t hard enough, imagine being diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. I had been complaining about some pain in my leg for about 2 months. Every time I went to the nurse’s office at school, she would offer me an ice pack and send me on my way. I never mentioned my pain to my family because I didn’t think it was a big deal. But then during Christmas week, the pain got worse and I noticed a lump right above my knee. My Dad took me to the doctor who immediately sent us for an x-ray. Within a half hour my life, and the life of my family was forever changed. I remember being surrounded by a bunch of adults in white coats and my parents were a mess. It was very scary. Things began to move very quickly. The first procedure at CHOP was to determine exactly what type of bone cancer I had. I’ll never forget waking up from the surgery with a double line extending down my chest. I felt like some type of robot.

“The year that followed was hard. I had 27 rounds of chemo to shrink my tumor. I had to undergo major surgery called ‘limb salvage’, to remove my entire femur and replace it with a titanium rod. I spent months learning how to walk again, while I was receiving my chemotherapy treatments. Because Osteosarcoma tumors are so nasty and sneaky, I had to have two additional surgeries – on my lungs! Thankfully, the one tumor that was found responded to the chemotherapy. This was all happening while my friends were enjoying their last year of middle school and getting ready to celebrate graduation from 8th grade.

“After 27 rounds of horrible chemotherapy and 3 major surgeries later, I am cancer free and doing great. The Beauty Foundation was there for my family and for me. The volunteers for the Foundation took the time to visit me and taught me techniques I could use to conquer my fears. They helped to cover some of the many costs associated with my lung surgeries at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City. Hotel stays, transportation and meal deliveries for my brothers and sister were taken care of while my parents were with me in the hospital. Cancer is brutal at any age, having a strong mind and support system is crucial to winning the fight.”

 

Sheila

In June of 2009, Sheila was driving her car when she experienced severe head pain. She was 47 years old and diagnosed with a rare oligodendroglioma cancer mass on her brain in stages 2, 3 and 4. Her loved ones were devastated by her diagnosis and put her name on prayer lists all over the world. Her family and friends rallied around her. Her brother, Dr. Joseph Fanelle, selected doctors who were experienced in treating this rare disease and family members volunteered to drive her to daily to treatments.“I am doing well and I feel blessed! I’m certain that this is because of the kindness and prayers from others. People who give of themselves and care for others in need of help are kind angels. This is what I discovered when I contacted the ladies at The Beauty Foundation as I was searching for a cancer patient service. Cancer robs you of the normalcy in your everyday life. God, modern medicine and wonderful organizations like The Beauty Foundation help restore you back to normalcy. Having cancer put an unexpected financial burden on my family and The Beauty Foundation helped us to address the mounting bills. Their generous help makes the ordeal of fighting cancer bearable for the patients and their families.”"I thank God for putting me in touch with The Beauty Foundation Angels!”