… I lost my mother to breast cancer. Like so many women, I have spent a lifetime being on the lookout for danger signs. I do my self-exams and have my yearly mammograms. I do everything I’m supposed to do. That’s why Inflammatory Breast Cancer, or IBC, is so frightening. It presents in sly and unexpected ways… So I want to urge women to add the IBC warning signs to their list of symptoms to look for, and I’d add that if something feels wrong, don’t be afraid to ask questions or get second opinions…
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

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True Colors by Kristin Hannah

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Make a Difference

The Firefly Fund | The Tribute Wall

Why I started the Firefly Fund:

In the years since I lost my mom to breast cancer, I have been touched by the disease many more times. More relatives, more friends have faced the terrible diagnosis. Like so many women, I have spent my lifetime being on the lookout for danger signs. I do my self-exams and have my yearly mammograms. I do everything I’m supposed to do.

That’s why IBC, inflammatory breast cancer, is so frightening. It presents in sly and unexpected ways. Often family physicians overlook or misdiagnose the symptoms—and we all know that with cancer, timing is everything. So I want to urge women to add the IBC warning signs to their list of symptoms to look for. For more information, I urge you to check out the Susan G Komen website also.

I feel so strongly about this that I’ve joined with breast cancer survivor Trish May and her wonderful team at Athena Partners in the fight against breast cancer. It’s a company in which 100% of ALL profits go to breast cancer.

I believe we CAN make a difference. That’s the reason I started the Firefly Fund. It’s my way of giving back, of reaching out to other women and offering some small bit of help. I’m hoping that my readers, and their friends and families, will join me in taking the first step. Together, as women, we can make the choice to be a part of the solution. We can make a difference.

How the Firefly Fund works:

I began blogging—under protest—in 2009. In “talking” to my many readers, I began to truly appreciate how connected we women are, and how much we can help and support each other, even if we’ve never met. I created the Firefly Fund as a way to give back. The fund will be used to educate women about IBC and to support women in outlying areas who are battling the disease. I encourage women to join me in this endeavor by donating to the fund. Or send a box of Athena chocolates (100% of profits go to fight breast cancer) to that special woman in your life. Anything you can do, no matter how small it may seem, will make a difference in another woman’s life. And then please, please join into the blog conversation about how to earmark the money. I hope we can turn this into a true collaborative effort. Together we can raise money and use it to change women’s lives.