I remember it like it was yesterday. Having no living relatives and living in a city where I knew very few people, I felt lost. If something were to happen to me and my mom at the same time, who would take care of my son? I remember crying so hard and feeling so emotionally raw, that I climbed on my stationary bike and began peddling as fast as I could, just hoping that my body would have to make a choice physically that I couldn't make emotionally...to stop crying...or stop breathing. I figured either way, the pain would stop, even if only for a few moments.

My biopsy came back benign and, according to my mom's surgeon, she was going to be fine. Fine...what did that mean? Did that mean that the scars would heal and go away...that my mom would be emotionally fine with the fact that one of her breasts had been removed...that there was no chance the cancer would come back...that the medications they prescribed for her would keep her from getting sick again...or just that she had made it through the surgery? I didn't know at the time. Neither did my mom.

Two years later, my mom was gone. I'd like to be able to say that she lost her fight with breast cancer. But she didn't...she never got the chance to "fight". She lost her life because we lacked knowledge. We didn't know where to go for answers to questions we didn't know to ask. She trusted the doctor that did her surgery and he didn't do his job...and because we didn't know enough, she's gone.

Yes, we blame her doctor for a lot of what went wrong. And yes, we attempted to go after him legally (you can find out more about that in our Family History section). Now, we have an opportunity (and responsibility) to assist others in not making the same mistakes we did...to increase awareness about what to do if you're affected (directly or indirectly) by breast cancer, to create fund raising tools and opportunities, and to create memorable products as keepsakes for breast cancer survivors and their families and friends.

It's Time to Take Action

About four years ago, my son and were having a conversation about how frustrating it was when my mom was sick, that there wasn't anywhere for us to go to ask certain questions or talk about the way we were feeling. There were things we didn't want to say or do around my mom because we felt our role should be supportive, upbeat and about her, NOT about us. Doctors tend to give you clinical medical only answers and don't spend a lot of time on the emotional side effects of breast cancer. And the only thing we could find in the way of support groups were either for survivors who were dealing with the disease or families who had lost someone and were dealing with the grief. There wasn't anything for those of us in the middle.

The original concept for our site and fund raising efforts was a bit different. Our goal was to do some form of fund raising for Breast Cancer Research while giving people who were affected by it, a place to go to tell their stories. The question was what type of fundraising. We were originally focusing on one concept...one product line...one way to raise funds for research and support. After lots of brainstorming and discussion, we decided that we could set larger goals if we didn’t keep ourselves narrowed down to a single concept.

Who Can We Affect?

While actually designing the site, we had to figure out who we could most affect. First and foremost is the fundraising side for breast cancer research and support services. After all, that’s the whole reason for putting this site together. The next group is the family members and friends who have been affected by breast cancer, whether they’ve been diagnosed themselves or simply know someone who has.

Since our initial conversations, we've created a business plan designed to eventually set up fundraising projects in the school systems around the United States (maybe even further)...without relying on kids selling the standard candy, cookie dough, pizzas, and wrapping paper that most people don’t really want anyway! We’re designing unique and personalized products that will give families the memories of a lifetime. (No, we’re not going to spill the beans here...we’ll let everyone know as soon as we’re ready to implement...so stay tuned to our Newsletter if you want to know!)

So, let’s see how fast we can get all of this up and running. Our goal is to have it up yesterday. That’s obviously not going to happen, so we've set the date to September 13, 2006. That's the 10-year anniversary of my mom's death...and it's three days before the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer for which we're crewing. We plan to tell everyone we can that we're collecting their stories for Why We Walk™. We’ll see how it goes.

Right now, we're adding pages almost daily so you'll see lots of changes. As we continue to grow and add more information, resources and new products, be sure to visit often and email your feedback. This site isn’t just for us...it’s for anyone who can benefit from a friendly, supportive place to go to find answers to questions, more information, or just a way to feel like you're not alone, while assisting to raise funds for the cure.

Giving Back

Every company or product that we promote here on our site or through our news letters, must be part of a win-win equation. It must be a win for Attitude For Life™ by being able to generate profits, and a win for the end Customer by being a great quality product or service. If those two wins are in place, the final win is automatic.

Attitude For Life™ gives 10% of all its revenues to charitable organizations that assist families affected by breast cancer. We will also be sponsoring occasional events where 100% of the profits will go to charity. While our main support goes to finding a cure for Breast Cancer, we will be eventually be adding other organizations as well. You may check out our current list for more information on the organizations themselves.

All of the programs we promote, must provide support, inspiration, or online resources to assist with the effects caused by Breast Cancer. Whether keeping in touch with loved ones and sending out announcements, providing a way to create income without leaving home so you can care for yourself or someone else, or simply expressing how you feel and finding out that you’re not alone, we have or will be creating a way to make it happen.