F*ck Cancer, Be Fabulous: How Sylvia Soo and Rethink Breast Cancer are changing the game
As October is breast cancer awareness month, we wanted to feature a few key players who are responsible for changing the game for young women diagnosed with breast cancer. Cue MJ DeCoteau, founder and executive director of Rethink Breast Cancer, an organization that delivers information and support for young women diagnosed with breast cancer. DeCoteau explains: “Rethink Breast Cancer started from my personal experience of having a grandmother with breast cancer and then having my mother actually pass away from breast cancer when I was really young. I was concerned about my risk factors and I wanted to support the cause, but at the time there was really nothing that fit who I was at 22-year-old.”
As such, she wanted to create a place that helped young women such as herself get informed and involved with Breast Cancer awareness. “The thing we didn’t anticipate was that young women with breast cancer actually found our organization and began reaching out to us” DeCoteau comments. Sylvia Soo, diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 25, was one of those young women who reached out to Rethink Breast Cancer. Several years later, Soo who is now a survivor of breast cancer and also the writer behind the Cancer Fabulous blog has teamed up with the organization to produce the Cancer Fabulous Diaries, both available in print and online. The diaries feature Soo’s experience with breast cancer from diagnosis to treatment and recovery alongside tips for others going through the same experience. And while Soo is a survivor of the disease at this time, she will continue to work with Rethink and her blog demonstrating to her audience that life carries on after breast cancer. “I had a reoccurrence last year and I had to go through radiation, but I really want people to know its both good and bad—it’s not just about the negative things like chemotherapy.”
Alongside the Cancer Fabulous Diaries, the organization went a step further and launched their first ever series of “boobtube” videos called Live.Laugh.Learn. which feature young women or specialists who are either dealing with breast cancer or work in the field. “We wanted to be able to reach women globally and deliver key points and information to young women about breast cancer. We also thought it would be helpful for young women who have gone through the process share their tips in order to make other young women feel more comfortable.”
To give back, Rethink Breast Cancer is a non-profit organization and accepts donations. You can also visit Rethinkbreastcancer.com for more information on breast cancer awareness.
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://fashionmagazine.com/wellness/health/cancer-fabulous-diaries/&title=F*ck Cancer, Be Fabulous: How Sylvia Soo and Rethink Breast Cancer are changing the game&picture=https://fashionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Breast-Cancer-Awareness-Cancer-Fabulous-Diaries.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_197634" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Photography courtesy of Rethink Breast Cancer[/caption]
As October is breast cancer awareness month, we wanted to feature a few key players who are responsible for changing the game for young women diagnosed with breast cancer. Cue MJ DeCoteau, founder and executive director of Rethink Breast Cancer, an organization that delivers information and support for young women diagnosed with breast cancer. DeCoteau explains: “Rethink Breast Cancer started from my personal experience of having a grandmother with breast cancer and then having my mother actually pass away from breast cancer when I was really young. I was concerned about my risk factors and I wanted to support the cause, but at the time there was really nothing that fit who I was at 22-year-old.”
As such, she wanted to create a place that helped young women such as herself get informed and involved with Breast Cancer awareness. “The thing we didn’t anticipate was that young women with breast cancer actually found our organization and began reaching out to us” DeCoteau comments. Sylvia Soo, diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 25, was one of those young women who reached out to Rethink Breast Cancer. Several years later, Soo who is now a survivor of breast cancer and also the writer behind the Cancer Fabulous blog has teamed up with the organization to produce the Cancer Fabulous Diaries, both available in print and online. The diaries feature Soo’s experience with breast cancer from diagnosis to treatment and recovery alongside tips for others going through the same experience. And while Soo is a survivor of the disease at this time, she will continue to work with Rethink and her blog demonstrating to her audience that life carries on after breast cancer. “I had a reoccurrence last year and I had to go through radiation, but I really want people to know its both good and bad—it’s not just about the negative things like chemotherapy.”
Alongside the Cancer Fabulous Diaries, the organization went a step further and launched their first ever series of “boobtube” videos called Live.Laugh.Learn. which feature young women or specialists who are either dealing with breast cancer or work in the field. “We wanted to be able to reach women globally and deliver key points and information to young women about breast cancer. We also thought it would be helpful for young women who have gone through the process share their tips in order to make other young women feel more comfortable.”
To give back, Rethink Breast Cancer is a non-profit organization and accepts donations. You can also visit Rethinkbreastcancer.com for more information on breast cancer awareness.
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