Cancer is so ingrained in the societal lexicon that we’re used to hearing about risk factors, diagnoses and treatments. We may even be able to rattle off statistics, such as one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime, or one in 3,000 will fight breast cancer while simultaneously pregnant. Nevertheless, nothing can prepare you for actually living those statistics.
“Sitting in that infusion chair, bald, sick and miserable, I cried,” says Beth Brubaker, who endured two surgeries and six rounds of chemotherapy before giving birth to her daughter, Harper.
Though relieved to have given birth to a healthy baby girl, Brubaker was not out of the woods, psychologically or emotionally.
“No one prepared me for being postpartum and restarting chemotherapy,” she says.
But then she received an email from the Karen Wellington Foundation inviting her to enjoy a spa day with a friend.
The Karen Wellington Foundation’s mission is to provide cancer patients with fun moments to enjoy even as they are battling cancer, so when Brubaker got to sit in a pedicure chair rather than a chemo chair, she couldn’t help but smile.
“I was still bald and sick, but I felt beautiful for the first time in 11 months,” says Brubaker, who vividly recalls looking in the mirror that day and being in awe of her reflection. “I saw a strong wife and mother as well as a role model for my daughter.”
The experience not only provided her with the strength to go forward but also inspired her to start a FUNd in Harper’s name to provide FUN to women going through treatment who have children under the age of five. So far, they have gifted three women.
“Generous KWF donors who support the mission are the catalysts for the life change that takes place in the lives of countless women and families LIVING with breast cancer,” says the KWF team. “We thank our givers who go above and beyond to make this all possible.”
Do you have a loved one battling cancer who would benefit from having a little FUN? Call 513.884.0651 or visit karenwellingtonfoundation.org for more information.