PreciousSurvivors

When my gig as Chief Marketing Officer of the Almond Board of California was up at the end of 2010, it took me the better part of a year to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. The ripe old age of 59 apparently seems ancient to most recruiters and to tell you the truth, it's been hard to get excited about jumping back into the globetrotting corporate slog. It was a wonderful 30 years and it's reinvention time.

My husband and I moved from our mountain home near Yosemite to Southern California to be close to high-quality healthcare (for my husband) and to our daughter (for both of us). In September, 2011, I was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time and when I discovered I had passed the dreaded BRCA-2 gene mutation along to my daughter, she and I had back-to-back (or, in this case, "front-to-front") bilateral mastectomies and reconstructions. Hers was prophylactic, but she was just 21. How fortuitous that we moved to LA when we did.

I started this shop following my second bout with breast cancer and have been so gratified by the experience. Precious Survivors continues to provide rich fulfillment through the interaction with strong and wonderful women who are going through the breast cancer journey, and their friends and loved ones who are trying to find ways to provide comfort following their surgeries.

I now realize just how much I enjoy creating things that give comfort and joy. Precious Survivors is my outlet for creativity and my passion for helping other people who have been touched by breast cancer. It's a bit of extra money that helps me "pay it forward" by helping non-profits like the Los Angeles Pink Dragons and Bright Pink Foundation raise much-needed funds. I hope you find the perfect gift at Precious Survivors, whether for yourself or a loved one!