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Fighting Cancer With Warrior Bags

July 7, 2013 2:18pm

Warrior bags-main

By Bronwyn Scott
Published: July 2, 2013

Inspired by a cancer survivor in the U.S., Michelle Pammenter Young is putting together Warrior Bags as part of her cause to help ease the life shattering experience of diagnosis.

Hand crafted soaps, face products, jewelry, toothbrushes and handmade lap blankets are some of the contents. A cup with a straw is also included because, as Pammenter Young explained, when you go through surgery it’s hard to drink normally.

Since her diagnosis with inflammatory breast cancer a year ago, Young has written two books. The first, called The Year I died: A Memoir offers a personal account of her experience. It was published in March.

The second, The Cancer Warrior Handbook, offers a humorous but helpful guide for getting through some of the processes of treatment. It is still in the works but is nearing completion.

Some of the campaign funds will go towards the final production costs of editing, graphic art and marketing. Each Warrior Bag will contain a copy.

“The idea is that the patient doesn’t pay for it, the patient just gets this bag full of loving goodies with a little note inside that says, ‘Hey, we care about you and sorry you’re going through this,” Young said.

Through all the trials and traumas of radiation, chemotherapy and surgery, Pammenter Young lost her mother and brother in the same difficult year.

Her vibrancy and strength in pulling through, and her determination to help others despite her own hardships, inspired photographer Pascale Gadbois to put together a short documentary of Pammenter Young’s journey.

“Michelle was going through a lot of big treatments, with a big operation planned in the near future . . . I thought that I could maybe just take a day and showcase her beauty,” she said.

The documentary, about four minutes in length, will be completed in mid-July. The message it conveys is that beauty doesn’t have to fit any particular mold, said Gadbois.

But it wasn’t a one-woman effort.

Brenda Bakker, a New York makeup and hair stylist from Pemberton, got her ready for the day of filming, a local artist created a soundtrack for the documentary and designer dresses were provided.

Proceeds from Pammenter Young’s fundraising campaign will go towards the first 100 Warrior Bags, which cost about $40 each, and completing The Cancer Warrior Handbook that will be part of that package.

An website for online donations is available at www.indiegogo.com/projects/giving-back-and-creating-awareness

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Comments

  1. Brian Gustason says

    July 13, 2013 at 12:13 pm

    I would like to discuss Parkinson disease the public lack of knowledge understandable as not a disease that is considered by some as widespread, not really true.
    Myself diagnose 7 years ago but probably afflicted double that, below is a good description and cause from this disease not all symptoms double that also.
    The part of facial expression i suffer the most look in the mirror and wonder who is this person is looking back.
    The lack of a group good therapy but hard to attract enough people.
    The following table lists some of the early signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease:
    Change in facial expression (staring, lack of blinking)
    Failure to swing one arm when walking
    Flexion (stooped) posture
    “Frozen” painful shoulder
    Limping or dragging of one leg
    Numbness, tingling, achiness or discomfort of the neck or limbs
    Softness of the voice
    Subjective sensation of internal trembling
    Resting tremor
    thank you if published and time to read
    B Gustason

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