Brainstorming for Breast Cancer!!

Several years ago I had the honour and privilege of working with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, their corporate sponsors, their staff and their volunteers, generating big ideas for the CIBC Run for the Cure.

All of the work that I do for non-profits is incredibly rewarding … but this particular assignment turned out to be very close to home.

Before, during, and even after the ideation sessions with the CBCF, I learned so much about breast cancer, the research being done, the numbers, and the survivor stories.

Throughout everything I learned there was one statistic in particular that stayed with me … ‘it is estimated that about 1 in 8 Canadian women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime’!

That number rang true for me as I sat on the end of a gurney at Princess Margaret Hospital watching the doctor putting my biopsy sample in a test tube, and placing it in the tray with 7 others that had been taken earlier that day.

The first thing that went through my mind was that statistic ‘it is estimated that about 1 in 8 Canadian women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime’!

One of those 8 test tubes sitting in that tray was going to test positive.

It did, and it was mine.

The journey I took with the doctors, nurses, technicians, surgeons, volunteers, and radiologists was one of the most positive and enlightening of my life.

I saw and experienced firsthand how all the big ideas we created helped to raise money for the CBCF, helped to fund research, helped to purchase equipment, helped to train doctors, nurses, surgeons and technicians, and even helped to purchase the juice boxes and cookies in the waiting rooms.

October is dedicated to breast cancer awareness and raising funds to help the 1 in 8 Canadian women who will develop breast cancer during their lifetime’!

Please walk, run, or support this incredible cause in any way that you can.

I am 100% healthy and the doctors tell me that I have less than a 1% chance of it reoccurring.

Big ideas can make a difference!