I have worked with AgroLabs as an Art Director/Designer since the company's inception. Cheryl Richitt, President of Marketing, realized that there was something wrong during one of our conversations and said that she didn't want to pry but asked if I was okay. To be honest, I wasn't sure how to tell her what was happening, I had hardly managed to grasp it all myself. I explained my story to her as best I could, said that we were trying to be optimistic and doing our best to stay calm. I said I would still be working but I couldn't say for sure what the next few months would be like. I remember her words exacty on this: "Michele, whatever it is, we'll work with you on it. The most important thing is your health."
During the next six months I did a very aggressive chemo. There were times when I was too sick to work a day but I did my best. Cheryl and Kurt sent me Naturally Noni and Naturally Pomegranate because the products are high in antioxidants. Then they were developing a new product, Naturally Thai Mangosteen, which has shown in some studies to also have some cancer fighting properties, so along with designing the
packaging I took the supplement.
Cheryl called me as were finishing up the packaging and said "Can you get one of those little pink bows and put it on the package. We are going to donate some of the money made from Mangosteen to Breast Cancer Research."
I said "Really?"
And she said "It's the right thing to do."
A few months later Cheryl forwarded me a letter from the Susan B. Komen Foundation thanking AgroLabs for their donation for $35,000. I can't tell you how thankful I was for that contribution. I thanked her and said that that money would save lives. I told my nurses in the chemo room and everyone lit up—patients included. That donation meant that people cared. If there is one thing that a chemo ward can teach it is that kindness, at certain times, is about the most important thing in the world.
I still take the Noni, Pomegrante and Mangosteen supplements along with exercising and eating healthy. At my last doctor visit I was told that I am doing wonderfully. Admittedly, I haven't gotten to the point that Lance Armstrong speaks of when he says "we are the lucky ones." I still have a lot to process and to heal but I do know that I am fortunate to be here, to have my family, my friends and people of integrity to work with. My doctor was right...I am doing wonderfully.
To learn more about breast cancer, visit www.komen.org.
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