A (Not-So-Typical) Week At Rethink

Photography by Christina Gapic

A spontaneous photo shoot of young survivors, a rowdy wrestling match, inspiring connections in Montreal and the wise words of naturopath, Sat Dharam Kaur.  Wow!  Phew!  Last week was a fabulous whirlwind of activity at Rethink Breast Cancer.  We go big and we rarely go home.

On Wednesday, wonderful photographer and friend of Rethink,  Christina Gapic stopped by the office to capture the beautiful faces of 10 young women with breast cancer who are recovering, surviving and thriving.  You’ll soon see the images of these Rethink program participants reflected in our materials, website and more.  Thank you, Christina!

We were so excited when the illustrious Magen Boys approached us with their idea for the Rethink Rumble, a wrestling match for fathers and sons who care about the breast cancer cause.  Yes, a wrestling match!  This was an absolute first for Rethink Breast Cancer!  Thursday was an action-packed night at the Factory in Vaughan that featured legendary wrestlers like The Iron Sheik and The Honky Tonk Man.  Thanks Jian and Page and everyone that came out to support Rethink!  Photos of the Rumble can be viewed by clicking here.

On Friday morning MJ and I returned to charming Montreal to meet frontline pivot nurses at the Jewish General and Royal Victoria hospitals.  The meetings left us feeling confident that expanding Live Laugh Learn to this region will fill a gap and be welcomed by health care providers.  That evening we had dinner with 5 amazing young women (Angie, Monique, Kira, Frédérique and Debbie) who told us their breast cancer stories.  We saw their tremendous strength, creativity and passion to give back so that other young women like them will get the support they need.

MJ and I spent Saturday morning scoping out the 3 central Montreal lululemon locations… each of them bright, colourful, welcoming and full of happy shoppers.  We’re learning about the different neighbourhoods and thinking about how Live Laugh Learn will have its own Montreal flavour.  Then we headed to Hope and Cope’s Wellness Centre to speak at the 4 C’s Retreat “Matters of the Heart” for adolescent and young adult oncology patients 18 – 39 years of age, hosted by Hope and Cope, Cedars CanSupport and VOBOC.  We’re so excited about working with these reputable support organizations and the energetic young women we met to get Rethink Montreal off the ground!

On Sunday evening, I made my way to lululemon for our monthly Live Laugh Learn in Toronto.  We had our highest turn out yet to hear renowned naturopathic doctor, Sat Dharam Kaur, share her expertise that can also be found in her book, The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Breast Cancer.  Though the lists of dietary and lifestyle changes that she recommends can seem overwhelming at times, Sat Dharam reminded us to take from her teachings what resonates and fits with our individual lives.  There was discussion about the importance of Vitamin D, soy, flax seed, turmeric, and kelp.  We heard about the benefits of time spent in the sauna and received another reminder of the essential role of exercise during cancer treatment and to prevent recurrence.   More information about Sat Dharam’s research and her teachings can be found online.  

There’s no shortage of excitement and variety in what we do at Rethink.  It was definitely a week to remember!  I’m looking forward to refueling this long weekend so we can do it (or something like it) all over again!

Do you have a unique fundraising idea that can compare to the Rethink Rumble? Leave a comment with your ideas!

If you or anyone you know in Montreal would like to be involved in our programs, drop me a line at support@rethinkbreastcancer.com.

Farheen Beg
Senior Manager, Support + Education Programs