We say goodbye to Janice...

This week I am sad.  This week I am reminded of the seriousness of the disease we have all come together to fight against.

Janice Sharpe was the first woman to join this project and in Dec, 2009, she thought she had beaten the disease.  Sadly, she learned only recently that it had spread and on April 4th, 2010, she passed away.


Eight months ago, 12 brave women came together as cancer survivors to create this calendar. We all had different experiences, different lessons to share, different perspectives.

But we all shared one thing - we had endured breast cancer, we had survived treatment and now we were to go on, through this project, to help others through their own battle.

It never occurred to me when I started this, that I would have to say goodbye to one of our own. That wasn't part of the plan. The plan was for us all to be survivors.

I am sad to loose a friend. I am humbled by the unpredictability of this disease and I am angry that cancer took Janice away from us, from her family, far too soon.

But despite my sadness this week, I have a renewed fire within me to make this project an overwhelming success. We need to make Janice proud. We need to let her know that she was part of something great, something worthwhile.

And we need her to know that she was as much a part of this as any of us, even in her absence.

Janice, I loved you and I will miss you. You brought me calm and comfort when I struggled in my own battle. You showed strength and courage in yours.

You are the reason we are here. You are our Face of Courage.