Be An Advocate With Your Doctor

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to a close, it is important not to forget all of the people suffering from this disease. Because of my sister’s tragic death, I am mostly reminded of the younger patients.

At 33 years old, Amy’s boyfriend found a lump in her breast. Even with a family history of her mother dying of breast cancer when she was 60, her gynecologist dismissed the lump claiming, “I don’t feel anything”. After seeing her General Practitioner she was diagnosed with stage I breast cancer, but a year and half later (after some pain in her back) Amy’s cancer has spread to her bones, giving her a new diagnosis of stage IV.

When I listen to Amy’s story, I can’t help but notice the similarities in my sister’s. Her misdiagnosis, the fast-spreading and aggressive behavior of her disease, her stolen (or changed) hopes and dreams, and all the other complications that come with stage IV breast cancer.

This is just another reminder for all of us to be advocates with our doctors, and to not put off taking care of our health for one single day.

I wish Amy (and all the other people suffering from breast cancer) a future filled with good health and much joy.

Virtual Walk Supports Stage IV Breast Cancer

I knew almost nothing about stage IV breast cancer before my sister, Liz, was diagnosed with it. Her battle and brutal death from the disease taught me all too well its meaning. Just a few months after Liz passed, I came across one of the coolest websites – designhergals.com. Being a stationery addict, I was instantly intrigued by creating your own virtual gal (with a closet full of couture clothes to chose from) to put on note cards, stickers, mugs, aprons and more. When I discovered that the company directly supported the Gal to Gal Foundation (the first non-profit that supports stage IV breast cancer patients and their family) with every sale, I knew I was meant to find this company.

Since that time, I have promoted the company to everyone I know and formed a relationship with founder Jeanne Fitzmaurice. I feel honored to know such an amazing woman as Jeanne, and to have the opportunity to make a difference as a soon-to-be board member of the Gal to Gal Foundation. Although tragedy has drawn us together, it is passion and purpose that bonds us.

Design-her Gals, Gal to Gal Foundation, Virtual Walk

Jeanne Fitzmaurice has always believed that when passion and purpose collide magical things happen! She never knew how true that was until her son was born. She waited a lifetime for that day and it was that moment she knew that he was brought into her life to make a difference. He taught her that “you can make a plan but you can’t plan the results”. From the moment Jeanne held him in her arms, she knew it was he who was going to be her teacher rather than the other way around.

Max was born when Jeanne seemed to be “at the top of her game”. She was considered a high powered entrepreneur who had built a successful resort management company. Traveling between countries and experiencing a lifestyle many would envy. The truth was that she was miserable. She found no purpose in her work and when she finally had her son, Jeanne realized that she needed to do something to change not only her attitude but her circumstances.

Through many starts and stops Jeanne wound her way down the “pot holed dirt road” and founded an interactive company online (Design-her Gals) that allowed users to create their virtual likeness and produce it in an assortment of stationery and gift items. The day she decided to do this project she heard that her best friend, Janis, was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. Like the day her son was born, it is one she will never forget. Jeanne knew that Janis (and the rest her friends and family) was in for a difficult journey, and it was because of that experience (on the heals of her cousin Robin who passed away of Stage IV breast cancer at the age of 45 leaving behind a husband and a six year old daughter) she knew that Design-her Gals must be put to work to make a difference.

Jeanne vowed to make the passion and purpose of Design-her Gals to be to raise funds and awareness for stage IV breast cancer patients. At the same time she founded the Gal to Gal Foundation, a non-profit organization where 100% of the resources go to stage IV breast cancer patients and their families. Before Janis lost her brave battle, she helped craft the mission statement for the foundation and Jeanne knows she and Robin would be proud of the work that they are doing. Currently the foundation grants the majority of their funds to Making Memories, a wonderful organization who is granting wishes for stage IV breast cancer patients and their families. But in 2008, it is Jeanne’s hope to launch the first global social networking website that will allow breast cancer patients and their families to connect by engaging and obtaining resources through the progression of their disease.

On October 1st, the Gal to Gal Foundation launched the first virtual walk across America which (http://www.galtogalwalk.org/) dedicates itself to Robin and Janis and all the women (and men) who have battled so bravely and lost so graciously. It is their hope that the money raised by joining together in this inspiring way will allow those currently living with stage IV breast cancer to have the opportunity to receive the resources and support that they so greatly deserve.

Jeanne was lucky to have walked with Janis in the San Diego 3-day walk the year prior to her death. She will never forget it; it seems fitting that the virtual walk is a walk that everyone can join in together. $3 and 3 minutes will allow you the opportunity to design your virtual walker and watch yourself join thousands of others (celebrities as well) walk from the virtual city of Boston (Robin’s hometown) to San Francisco (Janis’ Hometown), stopping in 29 additional cities along the way.

Let’s show the power the internet can have in making a big difference to so many in such a short period of time. Send out emails or go to http://www.galtogo.com/ and grab a banner to post on your blog or website! Please join the walk to help reach the goal to register one million walkers by October 31st.

How Uptown Liz Began

I often get asked how I came up with the idea for Uptown Liz. So here is the story…

I knew since college that one day I would own my own business. As the type-A-overachiever, I was the one doing all the work in group assignments in school and the last one to leave the office when I started my career. The perfectionist (recovering) in me went to bed many nights worried about work. I figured if I wasn’t going to be able to leave work at the office, then I might as well have my own business.

While my sister, Liz, was sick I was working in marketing and public relations. Although I loved my work, the industry was very stressful and demanding. I wanted a job where I could still be challenged, but have more flexibility to spend time with the people I loved. This desire became stronger and more nagging as Liz’s illness progressed.

I decided leave my job to start my own business and two days after my last day of work, my family received the news that Liz had only weeks to live, not months (or possible years as they had hoped). So my business was immediately put on hold as I helped my mother care for my sister in the last couple months of her life.

After Liz died, I could not imagine what I was going to do with my life. Starting a business overwhelmed me, but so did the idea of going back to work in my field. Two months later, I decided to continue with my marketing and public relations business. Steady clients started coming in and I felt that this might be the answer, but that answer proved to be temporary.

I regularly sent out e-mail newsletters to clients and friends on various topics, and for the October 2006 (breast cancer awareness month) newsletter, however, I did something a little different and sent a list of risk factors for breast cancer and retail products that had proceeds going to the disease. An acquaintance responded with the suggestion that I do this on a regular basis in honor of Liz. Over the next few months, ideas started forming from that suggestion, but I would dismiss them and move on to something else. Until one spring day in 2007, I told a good friend my idea to create a Web-based business that would list and promote products that go charity. She thought the idea was amazing, even though at the time I didn’t know how I would do it, or how it would make money.

The next step was incubating the idea with Ladies Who Launch – a national company with local chapters that offer workshops to help women launch businesses (Whitney Roberts led my group here in Sacramento). After that successful experience, I formed a focus group with some of the members from Ladies Who Launch to help me iron out the strategic details. Focus group members, Whitney, Neeta and Beth put their best business feet forward and worked with me on the name, look, feel and mission of the company. I was determined to launch the business on what would have been my sister’s 30th birthday. So over the next two months I spent every waking moment (while running my marketing business) to launch Uptown Liz. I recruited the talents of my graphic designer friend (That Designer Guy) and sent out e-mails to only a few close friends and family sworn to secrecy to help me with design decisions, Web site copy, and other miscellaneous details.

On July 17, 2007 (what would have been Liz’s 30th birthday) at 6:30 p.m., Uptown Liz was launched. Since that day, the company has taken off faster than I ever imagined. The positive response from retailers, media and the public have amazed me. I get beautiful e-mails and phone calls every day about what good work I’m doing, or how proud Liz would have been. Although it is an incredible amount of hard work (and often an emotional roller coaster), this company has been a blessing to me. By some serendipity, I have created my perfect job. I am making a difference in the world by promoting products that benefit charity, working in the field that I love and excel at (marketing, public relations and fundraising), all while creating a legacy for my sister.

When my sister was sick, she told me one of her dreams was to own a boutique with me. I never thought about whether I would actually enjoy running Uptown Liz, or whether it was really my dream. I just wanted to share my sister’s story, help others in my work and give her the boutique she always wanted. It is my gift to her. Thank you for sharing it with me.

Photo caption: Liz (left) and Ramona in 2001.