Make-A-Difference Monday: F*** Cancer

Since October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I have been reading a lot about non-profit organizations that focus on breast cancer research, education, and treatment.  One charity that really stands out is F*** Cancer (not just because of the name).  This organization started with a T-shirt that Yael Cohen made while her mother was being treated for Breast Cancer after a 2009 diagnosis. 
Yael and her mother, Diane, are such strong women and both are really inspiring in their own way.  Their story is very real and easy to relate to.  I am very blessed that my mother has not been diagnosed with cancer but I (like most people) have known many people that have been diagnosed with cancer. I have seen how it changes people and their daily lives.  I have seen how cancer makes people feel helpless or worthless.  I have watched as strong, brave individuals become lost and hopeless.  But I have also seen amazing strength, perseverance, and optimism from people that are fighting cancer.  I am constantly amazed by people’s ability to face a cancer diagnosis and the treatment and expense that come with it.  Cancer really does require patients and their friends and family to fight - and fight hard! 
I think we all have said or at least thought F*** Cancer at some point in our lives.  Maybe that’s why I relate so much to Yael and Diane’s story.  Plus, Diane reminds me of my own mother.  Yael explains on her website (www.letsfcancer.com), that her mom is not someone that uses the “F” word, however, she immediately wore the shirt in public.  This immediately made me think of my mom!  She, too, does not use the F word but I could see her wearing the shirt if she was in Diane’s place.  I immediately pictured my mom walking down the street in a t-shirt with big, bold letters, F-U-C-K C-A-N-C-E-R. 
Yael explains on her website that she made the shirt after her mother’s first surgery, To me, the shirt said, “Yes, I have cancer – but no, I won’t go down without one hell of a fight.” It said, “I am not a patient – I am a survivor.”  
In a way, doesn’t that describe all mothers.  They are true survivors -  whether or not they are facing cancer. I think we, as daughters, gain our strength and courage from our mothers.  We grow up watching them fight to give us everything they can.  They teach us about life and inspire us to follow our dreams.  It is our mothers that encourage us to be whatever we want to be.  They constantly tell us that we can do anything in life.  It is our mothers that push us to believe in ourselves.  I think this is why we can all relate to how Yael saw her mother as a survivor . . . as a fighter. 
It was people’s reaction to the shirt that inspired Yael to create charity.  In an interview with Shape magazine, Yael says, her mother, couldn’t go a block without people stopping to hug and high-five her.  As people asked where they could get a shirt, Yael began to see a way to help raise month for a Breast Cancer charity.  She eventually decided to start a new charity as she couldn’t find one that she truly connected with. 
Yael’s organization is about creating a community where people can say what they really feel about cancer.  It makes sense considering the 2 words that started it all.  The organization is also dedicated to early detection as Diane was fortunate enough to be diagnosed with Stage I after a routine mammogram.  I hope that you will visit the charity’s website to learn more about their mission and how you can donate or get involved!
F*** Cancer!