Cancer sucks. I know. I was diagnosed with HER2+ breast cancer about eight years ago, just after my daughter’s first birthday. I spent a year undergoing infusion-based treatment and learned how physically and emotionally draining it can be to spend long hours tethered to an IV pole—especially during the holiday season.

The weight of cancer is heavy enough—but today’s world adds even more to carry. Those in treatment are not only enduring the physical toll of their diagnosis, but also navigating financial strain, unpredictable access to healthcare, and the stress and trauma of ongoing conflicts and deepening divides.

I know my own journey would have been far more difficult without the steadfast support of friends, family, and colleagues—both near and far. Often, it’s the smallest acts of kindness that offer the greatest lift on the hardest days.

Now, as a survivor, I’m once again teaming up with friends to pay it forward. We’re honored to launch Round 8 of F#@k Cancer, Spread Beauty. This holiday season, we’ll be gifting bath and body care items—made with natural, planet-friendly ingredients—to individuals undergoing cancer treatment. These kits are designed to offer a bit of comfort and help ease the skin-related side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.

Over the past seven years, we’ve donated more than 1,700 clean beauty kits to patients at the University of Maryland Medical Center, Mercy, Johns Hopkins, and residents of the Ulman House.

If you’d like to support this effort, please consider making a direct donation via GoFundMe by Sunday, November 30, 2025.

*And please feel free to share—every bit of support makes a difference.