Honour Your Mother

As a joyful new mom, Carlyn Klebuc is busy caring for her newborn and delighting over her beautiful daughter’s every milestone. And she’s thrilled that her mother, Veronica, a breast cancer survivor, is able to share her pleasure in little Harper. Like many new moms, Carlyn has found that motherhood is making her appreciate her own mom that much more.

Carlyn was in high school when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. One thing that stands out in her memory is how her mother, despite facing a breast cancer diagnosis, put her family first. “She was a typical, devoted, stay at home mom and I was a typical, self-absorbed teenager—I really didn’t have a clue what my mother was going through or feeling at the time. She put on such a brave front, not wanting any of us to worry or even feel any hardship at her expense. Now that I’m a mom, I realize just how scared she must have been. There’s nothing more terrifying than the thought of leaving your children behind.”

Fortunately, Veronica has done very well and is now a 21 year survivor. To celebrate her mother’s survivorship and to help make sure fewer families are affected by breast cancer, Carlyn has committed herself to supporting the breast cancer cause.

In the five years that Rethink has been operating, Carlyn has attended every single Rethink Breast Cancer fundraiser in Toronto. A few years ago, she stepped off a plane from Mexico and took a cab straight from the airport to catch the end of Rethink’s annual June event. Carlyn buys the Fashion Targets t-shirts every year and even champions Fashion Targets Friday at her workplace. And now, Carlyn has become a Rethink Breast Cancer monthly donor.

"When I think of how much I spend a year on clothes or haircuts—or even how much I spend a day on bottled water, coffee and gum, giving $30 a month towards Rethink’s research and education programs seems like the least I can do. I believe in the excellent work Rethink Breast Cancer is doing and I’m so pleased that I can help grow their programs with my on-going commitment."

This Mother’s Day, help Rethink create a future where fewer moms are affected by breast cancer. Click here to become a monthly donor; you won’t miss ten, fifteen, even twenty dollars a month—but you will be making a huge difference to our programs.