Breasticide: A Hope for Change

Directed by Melissa Munroe

Thank you to the following sponsors:

• Joe Sutherland Rentals Inc. (Thank you Joe Sutherland!)
• ZTV Broadcast Services Inc. (Thank you Steve Zajaczkiwsky!)

Four unique women. Four unique cultures. Four unique stories. Breasticide: A Hope for Change is a compassionate, thought-provoking look at the major life challenges of four newly-diagnosed women. The contrast between each woman’s religion, culture and community provides the backdrop for an untold story about the “old white woman's” disease. Join Director Melissa Munroe, a stage four cancer survivor, as she explores the multicultural face of breast cancer: a face overlooked in the crowd.

Keep up

To watch the progress of this project, or to get involved, check out the Breasticide Facebook group and the MySpace page.

Donations

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The People

Melissa Munroe with Tracey Guthrie	Kim Tempest, breast cancer survivor	Melissa Munroe with Libby Znaimer, author of Cancerland: Living Well Is the Best Revenge
From left to right: Theresa Evans, Melissa Munroe and Pam Depres	Melissa Munroe with Dr. Edward W. Buchel	Diana Leitch, speaker at the National Conference for Young Women with Breast Cancer, with Melissa Munroe

Photography by Shawn Truax.

Breast Cancer Survivor: Jen Gallagher Martyn

"I am still in awe of you & your crew ... every time I think of our interview I smile. When I told my husband that I was bawling during the interview he simply said, "it's about time you let it out. I'm thrilled that it finally happened ..." Who would have thought?? I think you made me finally realize what's happened (and still happening with bilateral mastectomies & reconstruction upcoming) ... hard to believe it's taken me 3 years to believe it. Thank you ... from the bottom of my heart ... you've helped me heal :)"

I dedicate this film to

Full Name: Geoff Martyn
Nick Name: Geoffy, sweetie
Relationship to you: husband, lover, best friend
Why does this person mean so much to you? I would have never survived if it wasn't for my sweetie. He gives me a reason to fight, he continues to be my strength and my courage. He stood by my side through the worst time of my life, when many men leave. Geoff sat with me through every chemo, was there for every surgery and was willing to drive me (2+hours/day) to daily radiation treatment (I didn't let him though). He is the reason I continue to do absolutely everything possible ... so that I can grow old with my "sweetie."

Breast Cancer Survivor: Kim Tempest

"Hey Melissa, I have no doubt you are exhausted. I hope you are also feeling positive and fulfilled too. I wanted to thank you for taking on your project. I am enthusiastically awaiting the outcome. You have provided an experience that I will keep at the front of my mental filing cabinet forever. I came away from this weekend on an over the top high. It was terrific meeting you – you are pretty awesome.

If you ever need anything – a crazy kimism, words of encouragement, Kleenex (you really can’t keep wiping snot on the shirts of your team), what ever – just let me know!

Thanks again."

I dedicate this film to

Full Name: Arden Tempest-Wadden
Nick Name: Just Arden – It means ‘Light in the Forest’
Relationship to you: My 10 year old daughter
Why does this person mean so much to you? I am in awe of her courage and strength. She is sweet, funny, caring and insightful (which is a lot for a 10 year old). She makes me laugh. I love to laugh. Everyday we create a new memory. When I am gone, she will remember our laughter and hopefully find strength to face the challenges in her life by reflecting on the way we lived. Passion in everything is how I view things and try to approach things. I hope that she lives with the same passion. So far she is doing just that. She dances to her own drummer (who I am sure is some wild creative nut ball). She is champion for the weak. She is caring and compassionate towards others. She is my light in the forest.

Breast Cancer Survivor: Wilma Todd

"I had a great time chatting with you and the foot bath was lovely!

I had some time to think about your last question on the long drive home ( it's 5 hours ) and I just feel I didn't do very well with it, at least that is how I feel...I call it "chemo brain".

I believe the greatest gift we as survivors can give those individuals who must follow in our footsteps is the gift of HOPE! We are living proof of that hope, hope that there is life after cancer. Hope that we can still live, love and laugh. Hope is what I clung to, the hope that each day would be a little better than the previous one. The hope that I would be around to see Madison grow up to be a young woman. The hope that I would some day see a world without cancer for her.

I always have a difficult time when I hear that patients are given time lines as to how long they are expected to live. Sure I can see the importance of getting your life in order, but I believe this also destroys any hope they may have had. And who are we to say how long someone is going to live. I have seen some of the most hopeless cases defy the odds, and that is because they didn't give up...they believed that there was hope.

Life would be pretty empty if it wasn't for an ample serving of HOPE!"

I dedicate this film to

Full Name: Madison La Mei Todd
Nick Name: "Peanut" and " Plum flower". " Mei" means plumflower in Chinese and when we adopted Madi at 10 months she was only 13 pounds so we called her our little peanut. We still use both names.
Relationship to you: My beautiful daughter.
Why does this person mean so much to you? We waited 18 years before Madi came into our lives. And only 3 years after Madi's adoption came my diagnosis. She was my motivation, my hope, my everything. She kept me sane through treatment simply by being a 4 year old. She looked at cancer as another experience in life, and whether her mom had 2 boobs or 1, bald or had hair, I was still mom. I just looked a little different than before. Children are amazing and I believe there is a reason for the timing Madi came into our lives, as my sister so eloquently stated. I don't mean to minimize the importance of many other significant people during my journey, because there were a lot of very special people such as my husband, family and friends, but Madi was definitely my hope for a brighter future, she was my reason to live!

Breast Cancer Survivor: Laura Andrews

"I have to say I had such an incredible feeling being able to discuss openly, show my breast reconstruction and share with others the aftermath. How I wish I had the candidness and ability to see another women's breast reconstructed after having had my mastectomy. It was so moving for me to take my top off along with Janet and Tracey M and Marie too and talk openly about their experience with this disease and their surgical aspects of battling it.

"You are an awesome human being and I am blown away at your film endeavour. I cannot wait to see the finished product. I know it will enlighten, empower, educate and raise awareness of how this disease affects young women and the cultural disparity amongst other parts of our world.

"You go girl!!"

I dedicate this film to

Full Name: Victoria and Brendan Andrews
Nick Name: Vic and Bear
Relationship to you: My kids
Why do they mean so much to you? My kids mean the world to me and give me the drive and ambition to be the ultimate survivor until the end my time on this planet.

Their gentle hugs and concern for my health at the time of my diagnosis in Nov 05’ helped calm my fear and anxiety about my future. I felt that everything was going to be okay when they were around me.

They have boundless energy and really gave me some control over my life at that time as they still needed to be taken care of and taken to their activities. That offered a much needed distraction and a sense of purpose.

I have to say that my kids, my husband and my family and the amazing friends that I have met are what matters most to me. My relationships with each and everyone of them in this journey called life help to create memories that last a lifetime. I digress - but needed to get that out :)

Breast Cancer Survivor: Carrie Firanski

How did the weekend affect you?
"I had wanted to have a weekend or a group gathering of young women with breast cancer from across Canada just like the weekend put on by the CBCN since my diagnosis. It was remarkable to share the same space and time with these women, if only momentarily. My heart has been imprinted upon by many of them, and I carry them with me everyday now. Each of their stories was so unique, yet so familiar. It re-emphasizes how original and one of a kind we all are, because even in the face of an event so similar, we each have our own story to tell.

"I'm so grateful for many experiences that came out of that weekend, not the least of which is the feeling that I belong. For some reason since I've been diagnosed, I have felt like an outsider in my day-to-day life, with both strangers and family-members, who haven't had a cancer diagnosis. The experience of cancer diagnosis and its treatment is very alienating and made me feel like an outcast to my former "normal" life. But being at this conference and with those women, my new sisters, made me feel like I belonged. They understood, and could sympathize with me on a deeper level than with people who haven't gone through "the journey". I'm so grateful to them because of that sympathy; it has changed me and my perspectives."

How did the interview affect you?
"Melissa and her crew were so personable, considerate and empathetic to me that I felt immediately comfortable in their midst. The camera man was so respectful that he virtually made himself and the camera disappear while I was talking to Melissa. I didn't feel like I was in an interview, but really in an intimate exchange of experience. Melissa was very warm and receptive to whatever I said so that I was able to really tell her what "the journey" has been like for me so far. Her questions were thoughtful and sensitive which also helped me feel at ease and fully tell my story. It was a liberating experience. Thank you for listening."

I dedicate this film to

Full Name: Bernard Firanski
Nick Name: Bernski-Bear, Sweetie, Lovee
Relationship to you: Husband, Friend, Confidante
Why do they mean so much to you? Bern has been my caretaker throughout this whole experience. He has been a master juggler, making sure that we had a roof over our heads and food in our bellies; making sure that our daughter was clean, happy and entertained; working at his job and essentially ferrying me through life over the past two and a half years. He has been far more than a husband to me, more, even than a soul-mate. He means more to me than any word in the english language can describe. I am so blessed to have him in my life. I love you deeply Bern.

Thanks for reading!

Yours truly,
Carrie Firanski