- A
- J
- J
THE STORY….
It started with a visit to the Acupuncturist to discover where a chronic cough for the past three months had originated. I feel this is important because after three days of acupuncture, I immediately found a lump in by breast. The lump was hard and solid, my intuition told me to go to the doctor.
I made all appointments in Ecuador for exams and biopsy. The first ultrasound was not great, but they kept saying I was way too young to have cancer. I had the biopsy done and waited for the results. Thankfully I was flying home for a month of vacation that week so I had things to keep my mind busy.
The day I arrived in Wilmington, I was with Elease and Millie. I messaged the pathologist directly and asked for the results….she sent me a picture on my phone. I had tested positive for Invasive Ductile Carcinoma. Shock. Cry. Breathe. Calm. Business mode.
I was at the Zimmer Center the next day scheduling meetings with the team of Oncologists: surgical, medical, and radiation. After some more tests to know more about the tumor, the diagnosis was Stage 1 Invasive Ductile Carcinoma, testing positive for Estrogen, Progestrone, and Her2Neu.
The Her2 component and my age is the push for chemotherapy. So with that on the table, we could tackle the surgery. I opted for a more conservative lumpectomy because the ultrasounds and mammograms showed a very contained tumor with seemingly no lymph involvement. The surgery was scheduled for two weeks..
“I CAME IN LIKE A WRECKING BAAAALLLLLL” --- coming in HOT from Ecuador. Everything happened so fast, there is no time to stop or think. My house, my job, my cat, my insurance, my life….all in Ecuador. Reality now—no house, no job, no insurance. Circumstance nor diagnosis will stand in the way of LIFE, that is what I am here to do…LIVE.
- CA
Here’s a little backstory to THE STORY:
Catherine-Ayer Gresham is a 30-year old, Wilmington, NC native and an all-around bad-ass (she has the tattoos to prove it). She attended NC State University, followed by UNC Wilmington - ultimately leaving a sociology degree, feeling strongly that there was a world to be explored outside of the classroom. In 2011, motivated to get a better perspective of what was happening in America, she signed up for Americorps NCCC and went to the Denver campus. After a year of service, she was chosen to come back as a crew leader. She began traveling in 2015, after completing her 200hr yoga teacher training. She felt there was something missing before she could begin to teach anyone else – She ended up teaching English through Global Service Corps in Cambodia – this really helped get the creative juices flowing.
Following her heart and her intuition, she eventually landed in Ecuador, where she discovered Tantra Yoga. After completing a 500hr training at Durga's Tiger School; the director, her mentor, asked her to stay. For the past two years she has been running the administration of the school as co-director of the system. She teaches Tantra yoga, Partner Yoga, Psychology of Chakras, Applied Tantra Philosophy and most of all “HOW TO FEEL YOUR BODY, HOW TO UNLOCK, and HOW TO RELEASE”.
On May 7, 2019 she was diagnosed with Stage 1 Invasive Ductile Carcinoma, testing positive for Estrogen, Progestrone, and Her2Neu. Her treatment path – lumpectomy in conjunction with chemotherapy and radiation.
Although Catherine-Ayer has received some funding from the hospital for medicine, infusion, and surgery costs – there is still a lot of work to be done. The full scope of her expenses will go well beyond initial treatment costs.
If you know Catherine-Ayer, you probably know she's one of the most original, thought-provoking, sincere humans alive. Whether you've attended one of her seminars or simply happen to run into her at the grocery store, when she asks how you're doing, she genuinely cares. She offers the ultimate judgement-free zone that's so refreshing and so often hard to find. She's hilarious, quirky, and absolutely BEAUTIFUL both inside and out. She radiates positivity and this venture has proven to be no different.
I will not let a diagnosis overshadow the beauty in life, and the grand lessons that are presented with it. By the grace of God, I am here in Wilmington, with my family, with my friends to create a space for healing. Every step of my journey has led me to where I am now in this moment. I know in the core of my core that all is exactly as it should be. I know that this is my life path because it is not simply a fight for my life, or a fight to survive. This is an opportunity to fight for ALL TO THRIVE. I have been blessed and held in the hands of the Creator each step of the way, and my Faith grows each and every day. Life is Good. Life is Beautiful.
- CA
One of Catherine-Ayer's main goals throughout this journey is to spread awareness. About 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. About 10% of these diagnosis' are women under the age of 50. LADIES: CHECK YOUR TATAS! Catherine-Ayer will be keeping us updated through her journey on her blog - http://www.the-shakti-calling.com/
Feel free to share, to donate, to send kind words and warms thoughts.
A million times, THANK YOU.
RJ + Team
It started with a visit to the Acupuncturist to discover where a chronic cough for the past three months had originated. I feel this is important because after three days of acupuncture, I immediately found a lump in by breast. The lump was hard and solid, my intuition told me to go to the doctor.
I made all appointments in Ecuador for exams and biopsy. The first ultrasound was not great, but they kept saying I was way too young to have cancer. I had the biopsy done and waited for the results. Thankfully I was flying home for a month of vacation that week so I had things to keep my mind busy.
The day I arrived in Wilmington, I was with Elease and Millie. I messaged the pathologist directly and asked for the results….she sent me a picture on my phone. I had tested positive for Invasive Ductile Carcinoma. Shock. Cry. Breathe. Calm. Business mode.
I was at the Zimmer Center the next day scheduling meetings with the team of Oncologists: surgical, medical, and radiation. After some more tests to know more about the tumor, the diagnosis was Stage 1 Invasive Ductile Carcinoma, testing positive for Estrogen, Progestrone, and Her2Neu.
The Her2 component and my age is the push for chemotherapy. So with that on the table, we could tackle the surgery. I opted for a more conservative lumpectomy because the ultrasounds and mammograms showed a very contained tumor with seemingly no lymph involvement. The surgery was scheduled for two weeks..
“I CAME IN LIKE A WRECKING BAAAALLLLLL” --- coming in HOT from Ecuador. Everything happened so fast, there is no time to stop or think. My house, my job, my cat, my insurance, my life….all in Ecuador. Reality now—no house, no job, no insurance. Circumstance nor diagnosis will stand in the way of LIFE, that is what I am here to do…LIVE.
- CA
Here’s a little backstory to THE STORY:
Catherine-Ayer Gresham is a 30-year old, Wilmington, NC native and an all-around bad-ass (she has the tattoos to prove it). She attended NC State University, followed by UNC Wilmington - ultimately leaving a sociology degree, feeling strongly that there was a world to be explored outside of the classroom. In 2011, motivated to get a better perspective of what was happening in America, she signed up for Americorps NCCC and went to the Denver campus. After a year of service, she was chosen to come back as a crew leader. She began traveling in 2015, after completing her 200hr yoga teacher training. She felt there was something missing before she could begin to teach anyone else – She ended up teaching English through Global Service Corps in Cambodia – this really helped get the creative juices flowing.
Following her heart and her intuition, she eventually landed in Ecuador, where she discovered Tantra Yoga. After completing a 500hr training at Durga's Tiger School; the director, her mentor, asked her to stay. For the past two years she has been running the administration of the school as co-director of the system. She teaches Tantra yoga, Partner Yoga, Psychology of Chakras, Applied Tantra Philosophy and most of all “HOW TO FEEL YOUR BODY, HOW TO UNLOCK, and HOW TO RELEASE”.
On May 7, 2019 she was diagnosed with Stage 1 Invasive Ductile Carcinoma, testing positive for Estrogen, Progestrone, and Her2Neu. Her treatment path – lumpectomy in conjunction with chemotherapy and radiation.
Although Catherine-Ayer has received some funding from the hospital for medicine, infusion, and surgery costs – there is still a lot of work to be done. The full scope of her expenses will go well beyond initial treatment costs.
If you know Catherine-Ayer, you probably know she's one of the most original, thought-provoking, sincere humans alive. Whether you've attended one of her seminars or simply happen to run into her at the grocery store, when she asks how you're doing, she genuinely cares. She offers the ultimate judgement-free zone that's so refreshing and so often hard to find. She's hilarious, quirky, and absolutely BEAUTIFUL both inside and out. She radiates positivity and this venture has proven to be no different.
I will not let a diagnosis overshadow the beauty in life, and the grand lessons that are presented with it. By the grace of God, I am here in Wilmington, with my family, with my friends to create a space for healing. Every step of my journey has led me to where I am now in this moment. I know in the core of my core that all is exactly as it should be. I know that this is my life path because it is not simply a fight for my life, or a fight to survive. This is an opportunity to fight for ALL TO THRIVE. I have been blessed and held in the hands of the Creator each step of the way, and my Faith grows each and every day. Life is Good. Life is Beautiful.
- CA
One of Catherine-Ayer's main goals throughout this journey is to spread awareness. About 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. About 10% of these diagnosis' are women under the age of 50. LADIES: CHECK YOUR TATAS! Catherine-Ayer will be keeping us updated through her journey on her blog - http://www.the-shakti-calling.com/
Feel free to share, to donate, to send kind words and warms thoughts.
A million times, THANK YOU.
RJ + Team
Co-organizers8
Catherine-Ayer Gresham
Beneficiary
Wallis Hutchens
Co-organizer
Taylor Romulus
Co-organizer
Elease Mercer
Co-organizer
Maria Alexoudis
Co-organizer