Breast Cancer Survivor Finds Healing in the Pages of a Children’s Book

There were days when Lynne Pryor could only muster enough energy to hold her paintbrush for an hour. And sometimes simply sitting in the wrong chair was excruciating. But, she had a task to complete.  And she wasn’t about to let anything stop her from illustrating her first children’s book—not even breast cancer.
 
Right before receiving her cancer diagnosis Lynne also received an exciting assignment. Long time friend Donna Thornton asked her to illustrate a children’s book called The Christmas Donkey. The book follows Drupelet, a young donkey named after the juice bump on a raspberry as she receives an important assignment that only she can fulfill. The story is centered around several of the real-life animals living on the Mountain View Berry Farm in Landrum, South Carolina. Although Lynne had earned a BA in Studio Art from Columbia College she had never taken on a task quite this large, and certainly never while battling for her health.
 
Energy-zapping cancer treatments meant the illustrations took more time to complete, Lynne says. “It shouldn’t have taken me near as long but I never envisioned the journey I would have had,” she says. But the author and publishing team remained patient because they knew Lynne’s watercolors would make the characters come alive.
 
This summer Lynne applied the final brush stroke on the last illustration just as she says she began to feel healthy again. And it’s energy she’ll need with new painting projects on the horizon and her first children’s book to promote. “I was very grateful for the opportunity to be the illustrator,” says Lynne. “It was a huge opportunity for me at a much needed time in my life."

– Alison Storm, Publicist, Ambassador International  http://www.ambassador-international.com

Fashionable Strides Against Breast Cancer

Who knew women that have undergone mastectomy's have bra & swimwear options that were not only functional, but also pretty?
 
Amoena bras and Veronica Brett swimwear are two of our favorite brands for women that have fought breast cancer or had a mastectomy. Patricia Brett, the founder and designer of Veronica Brett, had a preventative bi-lateral mastectomy. Needing inserts, she was left to find that swimsuits that were available to her were focused only on function. She wanted gorgeous suits made of fine Italian fabrics and decided to make them herself.  It became her goal to provide options that make every woman feel sexy!

– Jenny Altman, Chic Executive Officer, ThirtySomethings LLC  http://www.ILoveAGood.com