Just one day after her public announcement to cease her cancer treatments, Elizabeth Edwards passed away peacefully at the family Chapel Hill, North Carolina surrounded by loved ones on Tuesday, December 7, 2010. In the statement released yesterday, it was reported that doctors thought she may have only weeks to live, but she was clearly ready to move on much sooner than that. May she rest in peace.
Elizabeth Edwards was first diagnosed with breast cancer the fall of 2004, and it spread to to the rest of her body, metastasizing to her bones, despite several courses of treatments in the last six years.
Today, rather than remember the survivors of breast cancer, let’s wear our pink ribbon awareness bracelets & other pink products in honor of those like Elizabeth Edwards, who bravely battled breast cancer, but ultimately succumbed to the disease.
Elizabeth Edwards’ journey of Resilience, grace and dignity has been well profiled in the mainstream media of late. We all know the story. Today, she announced her decision to end treatment of metastatic Stage IV breast cancer that she was first diagnosed with in the fall of 2004, during her estranged husbands (John Edwards) failed campaign for the presidency.
Today, she has rewritten her own story yet again – by opting for control over the disease in one final act of resilience, in choosing to cease treatment for her terminal battle with breast cancer. On her facebook page, she posted:
“You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces – my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren’t able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It’s called being human.
“But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn’t possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know.”
Having been through this several times with cancer in my own family, I applaud Elizabeth for her openness, and her continued bravery throughout her breast cancer – and this is perhaps the bravest moment of her very public battles and tragedies so far – I hope that she and her family finally find peace in this part of the journey, and make the most of the moments together to last a lifetime.
In an episode of the Nate Berkus Show, which aired last week (December 2, 2010) – Elizabeth Edwards shared her very personal story and a tour of her North Carolina home with the interior designer, she appeared to be upbeat and feeling reasonably well in the pre-taped portion of the interview. Later in the episode, Edwards appeared via satellite, looking much more frail, and had noted that the cancer treatments had been taking a lot out of her, including of course, her hair. But as anyone who has been through this process knows, you could almost tell a shift was happening in her battle against breast cancer.
Screenshot of Elizabeth Edwards appearance
Still, Elizabeth Edwards was as charming and graceful as ever, sharing both personal thoughts and laughter, as well as a few bargain hunting tips, giving a true look at the person she is.
British model and actress Elizabeth Hurley continues to amaze us with her dedication to all things related to raising awareness and funds for the Breast Cancer Research foundation! This time, Elizabeth Hurley has teamed up with the luxury retailer, www.AspinalofLondon.com, to introduce a very special pink ribbon product, the Elizabeth Bag.
Shown below, the purse is handmade in stunning Black deep-shine Italian patent calf leather, and is also available in gold mirror and gold snakeskin options. Each bag will be signed by Elizabeth Hurley and carries its own unique number, making this the most desirable bag that Aspinal has ever created.
Aspinal of London and Elizabeth Hurley are pleased to
donate £100 / $150 from each sale of Aspinal of London’s
exclusive Elizabeth Hurley handbag to the Breast Cancer Research
Foundation in
honor of the 2010 Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
Buy the Elizabeth Hurley Bag Now
>>
From the Apisnal website:
Help Raise £1, 000,000 One Million Pounds for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation
The Elizabeth Hurley Clutch bag is handmade in stunning Italian deep shine and gold snake leather exclusively crafted for Aspinal by a small Italian family tannery.
Each bag is labeled with a pink leather label and exclusively numbered so you know exactly which bag has been made for you. The inside is luxuriously lined in shimmering contrast grosgrain and comes with a gorgeous pink bijou hand mirror stamped with The Cancer Research Foundation logo and Elizabeth’s signature. The clutch is complete with a separate pocket for tickets and invites and detachable gold gilt chain making it the perfect practical and super stylish accessory.
A+ for Apisnal Breast Cancer Fundraising Efforts
In addition to sales of the Elizabeth Hurley Bag, Aspinal of
London is also donating 10% to the Breast
Cancer Campaign for every product purchased from their
Pink Ribbon Page through July
2011! You can find a range of more affordable
accessories and little pink luxuries ranging from $28 – $895 for
pretty pink luggage seen below & more pink items are
available in the store.
After the initial onslaught of pink products, many people tend to start blocking out the barrage of pink boxes & bags by about mid-October. That means that sales of pink ribbon products and breast cancer awareness merchandise starts slowing down in the second half of the month, which affects the total amount many manufacturers and retailers donate to breast cancer charities.
We’re in the home stretch of the 2010 October Breast Cancer
Awarness Month, so there’s still time to shop and help raise
money for the cause! Nearly 100 online stores
below have breast cancer awareness product
promotions going through October 31st**, with some of them going
on longer and offering additional sales as well. Either way,
don’t delay!
Breast Cancer Awareness Clothing, Shoes &
Accessories
Breast Cancer Awareness Health & Beauty, Cosmetics & Skin Care Products
Breast Cancer Awareness Jewelry – Pink Ribbon Pins & Bracelets
Breast Cancer Inspirational Gifts & Collectibles
Breast Cancer Themed Wedding Favors & Party Gifts
Pink Ribbon Stationary & Office Items
Pink Ribbon Food & Drinks
Breast Cancer Awareness Home & Garden / Decor
Items
Pink Ribbon Medical Supplies, Nursing Scrubs & Uniforms
Breast Cancer Awareness Sporting Goods & Equipment
Miscellaneous Breast Cancer Awareness Merchandise
**Most companies only offer donations on sales made during the month of October, so that means that time is quickly running out to help support the cause. However, a select few extend their sales period into November, and sometimes (but even more rarely) beyond – the entire year.
EXPIRES 10/31/2010: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. $5 of every sale of the Dansko Professional in Pink Ribbon Patent goes to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure. Join the thousands of hospital workers, restaurant workers and teachers who alleviate the long hours on their feet with Dansko Clogs. Approved by the APMA for promoting healthy feet, Dansko is synonymous with long-standing comfort. ClogsCentral is your Dansko specialty store, carrying every style and color of Dansko and offer free shipping on every order.
During the month of October we are offering a customer
appreciation discount code for 10% OFF EVERY ORDER! Just enter
‘ dansko10 ‘ during checkout!
SHOP
NOW~
Available now at Overstock.com’s Breast Cancer Awareness Page – (Valid 10/01 to 10/31 @
11:59 PM MST). Note that many of these are
products from previous years’ promotions, and the manufacturers
have likely already closed donations from the sales of these
products; however, some of the breast cancer jewelry items in
particular are great deals, and there’s a number of hard to find
items in the store, so take a look – because they can make great
gift ideas!
Shop Now for Great deals on Breast Cancer
Awareness Products – (Valid 10/01 to 10/31 @ 11:59 PM
MST)
Beauty is more than skin deep – in this case, taking care of your skin is also going towards taking out breast cancer. With every Pink Clarisonic purchase, Clarisonic Skin Care Systems will make a donation to help women with cancer look and feel like themselves again. For 2010 Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Clarisonic Skin Care company is offering three options in its pink skin care line:
1) The Limited Edition PINK Clarisonic PLUS Sonic Skin Cleansing System – $250 :
Clarisonic Skin Care System for Breast Cancer Awareness
New! Introducing the Limited Edition PLUS designer model. This
custom Clarisonic PLUS was developed in support of the Susan G.
Komen Foundation and the millions of women battling breast
cancer. Enjoy this beautiful new design and support a great
cause.
2) New! Clarisonic Mia™ Sonic Skin Cleansing System –
$149
3) $1 95
– Clarisonic Classic in PINK ! Engraves &
Ships Free! The original waterproof 2-speed
Sonic Skin Cleansing System that redefined skin cleansing for
cleaner, healthier skin.
Clarisonic is honored to join you and the Susan G. Komen Foundation in the Fight for a Cure. 50% of the profits from sales of this Limited Edition Clarisonic PLUS go directly to the Susan G. Komen Foundation
From the Clarisonic Skin Care company website:
Beyond skin care, we want to have a positive impact on the lives of women fighting cancer. Cancer can take so much from a woman. But it doesn’t have to take her self-confidence.Look Good…Feel Better is a program that puts the power to be beautiful back into the hands of women battling cancer. Through group programs offered nationwide, trained cosmetologists teach women how to cope with treatment-related skin changes and hair loss so they can look and feel like themselves again.
Now you too can help. With the purchase of each “Hope is Beautiful” Skin Cleansing System you have the power to make a difference.
SHOP NOW:
Just wanted to give a quick shout out to my friends @DempseyCenter (follow them on Twitter) in Lewiston, Maine – they’re raising money for the Patrick Dempsey Center for Hope & Healing at CMMC this weekend in the 2nd Annual Dempsey Challenge. I first wrote about my personal experience with the Dempsey Center, and Patrick’s amazing sister Mary Dempsey, who runs the center, back in September 2009, shortly after my father passed away from cancer.
Several major running shoe manufacturers have gotten behind all the fundraising events for breast cancer awareness and research organizations, and there are so many to get involved during the month of October! So what is better to wear on your feet during a running race or walk event than a pretty and comfortable pair of pink sneakers? Well, they aren’t all pink at least if that turns you off – but just enough to know they support the cause, especially since these sneakers donate a significant portion to breast cancer charities and sponsor many fundraising events across the country, such as the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure and the AVON Walks.
So, with today’s Pink Picks, just choose your preference for pink ribbon sneakers by manufacturer or online store:
1) New Balance Womens Walking Shoe Race for the Cure Collection – $109**
BUY NOW>>
**Annually, New Balance contributes 15% of wholesale sales from
the Lace Up for the Cure® Apparel & Footwear Collection, with
a guaranteed minimum donation of $500,000 up to a maximum of $1
million, to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®
3) Pink Ribbon Premier Road Supreme by Reebok
– $99
SHOP NOW >>
Reebok will donate up to $750,000 through sales from its Pink Ribbon Collection
Also Support the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade with Reebok Pink Ribbon footwear and apparel. Shop now
and help find a cure!
4) Skechers Women’s Shape Ups Breast Cancer Awareness
Walking Shoe – $109 @Endless.com
BUY NOW
>>
5) Lena Liu Breast Cancer Support Canvas Art Women’s Sneakers: Steps Toward A Cure – $49.95
Maybe not the the best choice for a long breast cancer awareness walk, but still cute! Introducing the Lena Liu breast cancer support women’s shoes – fine canvas art sneakers available exclusively from The Bradford Exchange. You can stride in pride knowing that a portion of the proceeds from this artistic footwear will be donated to the fight against breast cancer.Beautiful images from renowned artist Lena Liu’s beloved paintings create an enchanting pink floral and butterfly pattern on the stitched canvas upper of these exclusive breast cancer support sneakers. Plus, they are gracefully accented with the uplifting messages of “”Love,”" “”Hope”" and “”Courage,”" and feature durable rubber soles and foam-cushioned footbeds for superior comfort. There is even a sculpted breast cancer awareness ribbon attached to the lace of each shoe. This delightful, enameled metal charm is studded with a pink simulated jewel for extra sparkle. Don’t miss your chance to walk with hope every single day.
To kick off the daily pink picks for October 2010 Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I’d like to start with a product that started it all (this website that is) – the breast cancer awareness bracelet. Of course you can always shop from our breast cancer bracelets guide, which has everything from rubber silicone wristbands with words of encouragement to diamond encrusted pink ribbon tennis bracelets. But this year, I’d like to start with a relatively new style, offered for just $2.00 that really can make a huge difference in raising funds for breast cancer research.
In 2009, Payless Shoe Stores unveiled their breast cancer charm
bracelet somewhat late in the month of October, but this year,
it’s available from the start, so buy one, ten or twenty
for your friends, and really make a difference, since
at least $1.00 (1/2 of the purchase
price) from each bracelet bought went to the Susan G. Komen
foundation. To date, the Payless Payless Charitable Cause Breast Cancer
Awareness Bracelet has raised over $3.6
Million for breast cancer research.
2010 Breast Cancer Charm Bracelet from Payless Shoes: 
Buy the Payless Payless
Charitable Cause Breast Cancer Awareness Bracelet now online at
Payless.com
or in store.