First off, I am so honored that I was asked to share my story for the Beyoutiful Foundation’s Wonder Women program. (As a little girl I was obsessed with her!) I feel like I need to write more of a testimonial to the Beyoutiful Foundation’s mission than my experience with cancer. Briefly, my son Logan was diagnosed with ALL (leukemia) in September 2009. He was just about to turn 5. On January 5, 2013, my 40th birthday, I gave him his last chemo pill. The whole thing was done and looking back it seemed like a bad lifetime movie I had watched. 4 months later he relapsed. There are no words.

We spent the next 3 years in and out of hospital hell. We called it “The Vortex”. Time, space, WiFi and cell service ceases to exist when you live for week after week in a hospital room. So do haircuts, mani/pedis, eyebrow waxes and the like. So let’s move on to the important part of my story as it relates to the Beyoutiful Foundation …. During that time I was fortunate enough to have AMAZING friends and community. If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes an army to deal with a child with cancer. You absolutely cannot do it alone.

People took care of us. In the smallest and simplest of ways people showed their support and I will always be impacted by the love we received. Two of my girlfriends (that I have to call out by name), Yvonne Lantz and Maritza Wilson, are hair stylists. Whenever I was home from the hospital, and I could muster up the energy to see them, they would pamper me. Cuts, colors, deep conditions, style, I mean the works, without ever accepting a dime from me. Ever. My friend Jodi Johnson brought me cashmere sweaters and blankets. Another friend would bring me cozy sweats for the long hospital stays. It was absolutely incredible. Now I know that I didn’t have to suffer the true pain and experience of having cancer. However I had to suffer watching my child in so much pain and not be able to do anything about it. I think it goes without saying that, I wish it were me.

I know first hand that the mission of the Beyoutiful Foundation, to build a sisterhood community and provide “beauty” services to those battling cancer or along side someone who is, is genius. Such small things can make such a huge difference!! Looking “good” is definitely an instrument to feeling better.

My son is cancer free (thank the universe) and I work in the fashion industry alongside the iconic Lisa Kline. I can say for sure that we are on board, in anyway we can be, to help provide clothes and styling to any woman hit by the brutal blow of cancer. Wonder Woman fought for everything just in the world. I will fight with you. All day. Any day.

#weareinthistogether #bettertogether