I would first like to begin with a couple of words of gratitude to Thrive Alive Foundation

Thank you for being there for us. For helping us through this sometimes perilous journey from diagnosis to healing. Thank you for your tireless belief in us, in our own healing and in our own strength.  Belief in me throughout my process allowed me to believe in myself again to take on this fat grafting project.

I would also like to set some context for the fat grafting petition. We walk through life sometimes with a haze of "I don't know what I don't know". That is how I began around my surgery. I went on the computer to look up what mastectomies and partial mastectomies were about and how they might look. Some of the pictures scared and horrified me so I left the world of the internet and reached out to women. Women who were kind and brave and who were not only willing to share their stories but were also willing to share their results with me. They would walk into the nearest public washroom and lift up their shirts to show me their surgeries. They made it very clear that they were there to help us newbies (newly diagnosed women with breast cancer). I knew then that someday I would be there for them or for the many other women who were being diagnosed daily.

Because of what I saw through them, I also knew that I needed to be very involved with choices around my surgery. I sought out a lovely surgeon who was willing to work with me to minimize the type of reconstructive surgery that I would have, deciding on everything from placement of incisions and thus scars, to how the body would heal and fill itself in with the help of gravity. She was wonderful.

After a year and a half of treatment I was ready to consider reconstruction. I went to see the plastic surgeon who informed me that all my preparations with my surgeon had paid off and that I could have a procedure called fat grafting (lipofilling) to correct my left breast.

The great things about this procedure were that it had minimal down time ( I have 2 children), could most often be done under local anesthetic in the doctors office, recovery was quick as most of the procedure is done with only using syringes, there was no lasting damage to any other parts of the body, there was no lasting pain after healing, and there was no lasting structural damage to the rest of the body like some of the other surgeries being done.

It was good for the patient and it was good for MSP. Great so where did the "but" come in as I could sense that one was about to be delivered to me. The doctor let me know that the plastic surgeons had applied to have this procedure covered by MSP, but with no success and a seven year long process. OK, so there was the "but". She was clear that I could pay for this privately as other women had been doing. Unfortunately, being off work for the past 2 years did not allow me to have that much disposable income and I was sure the same was true for most of my Cancer sisters. I asked the doctor what she thought would help and she mentioned a patient petition.

I left the office somewhat discouraged and wondering if I would ever be able to have this surgery and move on with my life. I questioned if I even needed to have reconstruction in order to move on with my life. After a week of soul searching, I realized that, yes, I was not going to move on if I was constantly seeing myself damaged from this experience. If I felt this way, there were many other women who felt this way as well. Other women were there to help mentor and take care of me during this difficult time. Now it was my turn to give back.

I realized that I would need a doctor to help sponsor this petition, so I approached Dr. Walter Lemmo who has always been there for me. He said to write something up and he would help get organizations on board. Coincidentally, or perhaps, as a sign of fate, Thrive Alive Foundation was gearing up for their launch event in April 2011, and the team allowed me to bring the petition in order to start gathering signatures, and thus launch my own campaign. The Thrive Alive Foundation launch event became my own launch event and truly helped begin this process to provide lipofilling for all British Columbians. I collected over 100 signatures that evening

For the next few months, I made it my priority to get signatures. Everywhere I went I took my clip board with the petition. Another cancer organization, InspireHealth, allowed me to speak with people after classes to get more signatures and they left a petition on their living room table for people to sign. Every appointment that I had at the Cancer Agency, I took my time to go around the waiting rooms to get more signatures. I faxed the petition out to various support groups for signatures. When I had 300 signatures, I approached Colin Hansen, my MLA. He said that it made sense from a fiscal, medical and emotional stance, and would take it forward to the Minister of Health. I kept gathering signatures so that he would have a lot of support to show The Minister.

At the beginning of June, Colin called to let me know that we would have an answer within 3 weeks. From the time I began the petition, to the time we got our answer from the Ministry of Health, it took 4 months.

Now every women who qualifies for a fat grafting reconstructive procedure by their doctor can have it covered. No longer are they dependent upon how much money they personally have, and whether or not they can pay for it themselves.

But we are not done. There are thousands of women out there who were told that they could only have this procedure if they paid for it themselves. These women gave up and have walked away. They do not know about this new development. I want to find them and tell them that they should now head back to their doctor's office if they still want the reconstruction done, if they still feel that it is a necessary part of completing their healing process.

We also need to let doctors and surgeons know that this is what we want before they do our surgeries, so that they can keep the whole picture in mind. For some of us, reconstruction is as much part of our treatment plan as chemotherapy.

What did I learn from all of this? Well, I guess I was reminded of how powerful we all are if we stand together. So please stand with me, and get the word out to our Cancer sisters!

I’m so grateful and appreciative to be the first award recipient for Wings of Change… I can’t tell you how much this means to me and every woman eager to move forward and to thrive.

Twitter connects great people to great causes… and that’s how renowned “foodie” Tess Masters found Thrive Alive Foundation (& vice versa!). The lovely Ms. Masters has created six specialty vegan smoothies just for Thrive Alive Foundation, all featured on the Thrive Alive Foundation blog, + her famous (and favorite) Raw Vegan Tropical Smoothie. Now that’s love!

So who exactly IS this smoothie goddess?

Tess Masters is an Australian actor, presenter and voice over artist working in Film. TV and Radio in Los Angeles, California. She has voiced hundreds of commercials for some of the world's leading brands, and presented several TV Shows and Corporate Videos.

Tess's alter-ego, The Blender Girl, writes a quirky food blog, Healthy Blender Recipes, where she shares quick easy allergy free vegetarian recipes that can all be made in a blender, mixer or food processor. All of the recipes are gluten free, and many are dairy free, egg free, nut free and soy free. You can easily search for recipes by dietary restriction or recipe type by using the handy clickable icons beside each recipe.

Tess writes the new eco food blog for Go Green America TV, and is a regular contributor to Raw Super Life Magazine and Super Living. Her recipes have been featured in Chow, Epicurious and Glamour, as well as numerous other publications around the world. Tess recently filmed a series of blender-inspired videos for Chow as part of their Chow Tips series.

Try out her delicious Thrive Alive Foundation smoothies at home… you will be addicted, guaranteed (but in a very good way). Thank you Tess for your thoughtful and healthy smoothie recipes… we look forward to sharing more of your kitchen creations!

Raw Vegan Tropical Green Smoothie

4 cups organic spinach

2 cups organic fresh or frozen mango

2 medium organic bananas

2 cups organic coconut water

1 cup ice cubes (optional if you use fresh mango)

1/4 inch small cube of organic creamed coconut (optional)

Throw all your ingredients into your blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

Green smoothies are one of the most wonderful ways to improve your health. I started making green smoothies with fruit to get used to the taste of all of the different greens and wild edibles, and then I slowly transitioned into pure vegetable green smoothies that were more alkalizing and did not contain as much natural sugar. I would suggest starting with fruit smoothies and then gradually reducing the amount of fruit in the blend every day. Green smoothies are so easy to make. Just throw in some leafy greens and the fruits or vegetables of your choice. Experiment with the flavours that work best for you. If it is too sweet, add in some more greens. If it is not sweet enough, throw in more fruit.

For the more savoury green smoothies, a top tip is to throw in an avocado instead of a banana and you will get a creamy raw smoothie that would make anyone green with envy. I also like to throw in some organic creamed coconut and ice, which tends to take the bitterness out of some of the wild edibles and greens that are not as palatable to some people.

This is my favourite green smoothie. It makes a wonderful introductory green smoothie. I love using spinach in smoothies because it is loaded with nutrients. It also has a mild flavour that is easily masked with fruit, which makes this smoothie enjoyable for even the most green-skeptic drinker. Trust me, if it weren't for the green colour, you would never know this smoothie had spinach in it. This tropical green smoothie tastes just like a mango banana coconut fruit shake. Go green and you won't be sorry. It will literally change your life!

The best thing about this green smoothie? It is raw, vegan, and allergy free. It is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, soy free, sugar free, and absolutely delicious.

Salty Vegan Alkaline Kale Smoothie

2 cups firmly packed curly kale

2 cups fresh tomato chopped roughly (about 2 large tomatoes)

1 large cucumber chopped roughly

1 whole avocado pitted and chopped

2 whole limes peeled and quartered

1 cup ice

2 cups filtered water

½ cup broccoli sprouts

1 inch piece of creamed coconut (purchase in a box)

4 cloves of garlic

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

Throw all the ingredients in your blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

Now, I will say right off the bat that this salty alkaline savoury smoothie will not be for everyone. If you are new to green smoothies, I would suggest starting with a sweet fruity green smoothie to ease into the idea and taste of blended greens. But for those of you who are more adventurous, this smoothie is a delicious healthy alkaline smoothie to include in your weekly eating regime. I think it tastes like liquid guacamole! YUMMO!

I love cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower for boosting immunity and fighting carcinogens and free radical damage. My favourite dark green leafy vegetable to include in green smoothies is kale. Kale is absolutely loaded with nutrients! Kale contains powerful phytochemicals and antioxidants that are thought to suppress tumor growth and block cancer-causing substances from damaging cells. Kale also helps protect cells from stress, and contains vitamins A, B, C and folate, which work together to help prevent cancer growth.

I have also added in some broccoli sprouts. These little sprouts are powerful! Broccoli sprouts are loaded with goodies and powerful antioxidants that can help combat cancers. I love sprouts because they are living whole foods that supply live enzymes to a healing body. Broccoli sprouts are a rich source of the phytochemical, sulforaphane, which is thought to aid in preventing some types of cancer by deactivating free radicals and carcinogens.

I have also added a couple of raw tomatoes to take advantage of the vitamin C and the flavanoid, lycopene, which prevents cellular damage and attacks free radicals. The tomatoes also add a gorgeous rich flavour to this smoothie. I always include a whole unpeeled washed cucumber to my salty smoothies for texture and water content. Cucumbers are also one of the most alkalizing foods you can put into your body. I eat a cucumber every single day.

I have thickened this smoothie with a whole avocado. Avocados are my favourite way to add a creamy texture to any kinds of green smoothies. You also get the added benefit of the healthy oils and the powerful antioxidant called glutathione that attacks free radicals in the body. Avocados also contain more supply more potassium than bananas, and are a strong source of beta-carotene.

The final vital ingredient that makes this smoothie special is some fresh garlic. I swallow a few cloves of raw garlic every day to take advantages of the powerful anti fungal, anti bacterial, and antiviral properties. Garlic also acts as a probiotic that helps eliminate toxins and heavy metals from the body; contains quercetin and sulfur compounds that can help protect cells from free radical damage and inhibit tumor growth; and is a powerful blood cleanser.

I also LOVE the taste! In my opinion, you can never get enough garlic. An injection of garlic took this salty smoothie from simple to sublime. Garlic gives your antioxidant defense system a kick and tops the US Cancer Institute’s list of anti-cancer foods.

So hop into this anti-cancer liquid guacamole and ward off the vampires at the same time! YUMMO!

Vegan Carrot Ginger Smoothie

2 cups fresh carrot juice

½ Tbsp or 1 Tbsp freshly minced ginger

1 cup silken tofu or 1/2 cup raw cashews

½ avocado

½ cup ice

2 Tbsp agave nectar, a pich of stevia or ½ whole chopped apple

pinch of Celtic sea salt

Throw all the ingredients in your blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

I absolutely love the combination of carrots and ginger. I love the contrast between the natural sweetness of the carrots and the mild spicy heat of the ginger. Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene that can help combat cancers by boosting the immune system.

I have juiced the carrots to make this smoothie more palatable to most people. However, if, like me, you have a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix, you can throw a few carrots in whole with some filtered water and puree until well combined. You can also juice the ginger with the carrots. But I used my porcelain ginger grater and threw the whole ginger in to get the most out of the ginger flavour.

I have used tofu or raw cashews to thicken and flavour this smoothie. If you want to make this smoothie nut free or soy free, you could thicken this smoothie with a whole avocado. Organic tofu is a wonderful way to thicken vegan smoothies. But soy is a little controversial. Some studies suggest that organic soy products like tofu contain pythonutrients (isoflavones  like genistein and safonins) that can inhibit that tumour growth, and contain powerful anti-carcinogenic properties. Then other studies suggest soy contributes to cancer. I will let you and your medical advisors decide if soy is a responsible choice for you and your health. I only include a little bit of soy in my diet. But do not overload on it because of the estrogenic properties. I find adopting the “Everything in moderation” philosophy creates nice dietary balance for me. If you decide to include soy in your diet, always purchase organic tofu that does not contain genetically modified soy beans.

I am a food combiner and do not combine fruits and root vegetables. So I used a little stevia or agave to sweeten this smoothie. But you could always throw in half a whole cored apple unpeeled. This tastes delicious too.

Raw Vegan Fruity Green Smoothie

2 cups tightly packed raw baby spinach

2 cups filtered water

1 peeled orange chopped roughly

1 apple cored, seeded and diced

1 cup fresh, frozen or tinned (in natural fruit juice) pineapple

1 cup red grapes

½ avocado

Throw all the ingredients in your blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

I try to include as many raw fruits and vegetables in my daily diet as I possibly can. I like to get all of the benefits of the phytochemicals which can boost health. Green smoothies literally changed my life, and I now start my morning with a different blend of greens every day.

If you are new to green smoothies and a little “green phobic”, this fruity green smoothie is a wonderful introduction into what I would consider the greatest boost to your health. Trust me, this raw vegan green smoothie tastes just like a fruit smoothie. You would never know it contained handfuls of gorgeous green spinach. I choose raw baby spinach to make fruit smoothies for green smoothie newbies as it has such a mild flavour that is masked and hidden by fruits. This smoothie is a wonderful way for the whole family to sneak more greens into their bodies.

Popeye’s favourite vegetable is a nutritious delicious dark leafy green that is a rich source of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and potent antioxidants like lutein, which has been found in many studies to combat cancers. To this, I have added in some whole fruits. I like to throw in whole fruits instead of juices in order to boost the fibre content, which helps clean out the body and improve intestinal health.

You can use any fruits you have in your kitchen to make delicious fruit green smoothies; but I have chosen some fruits that are known to have powerful anti-cancer properties.

Firstly, red grapes, that contain powerful antioxidants such as bioflavanoids, that can work as cancer preventives. Grapes also contain other powerful substances such as anthocyanins that help repair and protect DNA.

I have also thrown in a whole peeled orange that contains the pith as well as the fibre. We all know oranges are well known for their vitamin C content, but oranges also contain other anti-cancer compounds such as limonene, which can stimulate cancer-killing immune cells (lymphocytes etc).

I have also added a whole unpeeled apple that has been cored and quartered. That way you get the benefit of the fibre, as well as the pectin which can help with intestinal health. Apples are a wonderful addition to green smoothies because they are relatively inexpensive, come in all kinds of varieties, and are widely available all year round.  Apples add a gorgeous sweetness to green smoothies, but they also contain many anti-oxidants and vitamins such as quercetin, which has been effective in protecting against some cancers.

I have also included a cup of pineapple to this green smoothie blend. I absolutely love the gorgeous tropical flavour of pineapple. I used fresh pineapple, but you can also source frozen or tinned pineapple very easily in grocery stores. Tinned pineapple is great to keep in your pantry for use in smoothies. You can pick it up cheaply with coupons and specials. Just make sure you purchase pineapple in natural fruit juice and not sugary syrup.  Besides being delicious, pineapple are rich in the enzyme bromelain that can inhibit the growth of malignant cancer cells.

I have also added ½ an avocado. I actually use a whole avocado, but this might not be for everyone. Avocados are my favourite way to add a beautiful creamy texture to smoothies. I think avocados are God’s butter. They are rich in a powerful antioxidant called glutathione that can attack free radicals in the body. They also contain more potassium than bananas, without the high sugar content, and are also a good source of beta-carotene. But this smoothie tastes delicious without the avocado for those of you wanting to make this smoothie a bit more affordable.

Either way, this fruity green smoothie is delicious.

Vegan Green Tea Ice Cream Smoothie

2 cups strong green tea (4 green tea bags steeped in 2 cups of boiling water)

1 cup silken tofu

½ of an avocado

4 or 5 Tbsp agave nectar depending on taste preference

½ cup ice

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of Celtic sea salt

Throw all the ingredients in your blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

I love a hot cup of green tea. I also love a delectable Japanese meal. I must have been Japanese in a former life. I just love Japanese food; and no self-respecting Japanese feast would be complete without a generous helping of green tea ice cream. But after rubbing my belly on way too many Japanese feasting occasions I decided to look for a healthy vegan green tea ice cream recipe that would enable me to feed my green tea ice cream addiction without the need to coat-check my liver!

So, when I was asked to create some healthy anti-cancer smoothies for The Thrive Alive Foundation I decided to create a vegan green tea smoothie where green tea and green tea ice cream lovers could get their fix in a more decadent way in minutes!

Now, this smoothie will not be for everyone. If you are not a green tea lover, you might want to move on to the next smoothie. It does have a strong green tea flavour. But I can’t get enough of this smoothie. It is delicious! What I love the most about it is that is not too sweet.

But besides the delicious flavour, green tea has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, because it contains powerful antioxidants known as polyphenols (catechins), which have shown in some studies to prevent cancer cells from dividing.

I have used organic tofu to thicken and flavour this dairy free smoothie. But soy is a little controversial. Some studies suggest that organic soy products like tofu contain pythonutrients (isoflavones  like genistein and safonins) that can inhibit that tumour growth, and contain powerful anti-carcinogenic properties. Then other studies suggest soy contributes to cancer. I will let you and your medical advisors decide if soy is a responsible choice for you and your health. I only include a little bit of soy in my diet. I do not overload on it because of the estrogenic properties. I find adopting the “Everything in moderation” philosophy creates nice dietary balance for me. If you do decide to include soy in your diet, always purchase organic tofu that does not contain genetically modified soy beans.

If you want to make this smoothie soy free, you could thicken this smoothie with more avocado. I have added ½ an avocado for a subtle green colour. But you could always add more. Avocados are my favourite way to add a beautiful creamy texture to smoothies. I think avocados are god’s butter. They are rich in a powerful antioxidant called glutathione, that can attack free radicals in the body. They also contain more potassium than bananas, without the high sugar content, and are also a good source of beta-carotene.

Vegan Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie

1 ½ cups mashed cooked orange sweet potato or yams

2 cups almond milk

½ cup ice

1 fresh or frozen banana

3  or 4 Tbsp maple syrup depending on your taste preference

1 tsp natural vanilla extract

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

pinch Celtic sea salt

Throw all the ingredients in your blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

I love sweet potatoes any way I can get them – steamed, baked or roasted. Sweet potatoes are soft, fibrous vegetables that are sweet and decadent, and are high in beta carotene which boosts immune defenses and may protect DNA in cells from cancer-causing chemicals.

One of my favourite ways to enjoy sweet potatoes is in a good piece of sweet potato pie. I make a delicious crustless sweet potato pie. But on the days when I am not inclined to bake, I like to blend up a quick vegan sweet potato smoothie to satisfy my cravings without the need to coat-check my liver!

This vegan sweet potato smoothie hits the spot for me, and I hope it will for you too. I will attach a disclaimer right here and say that this smoothie is very rich! A little goes a long way for me. I always share it with a friend, but my mother could happily devour the entire blender full in one sitting. So, see how you go.

This vegan sweet potato smoothie is fantastic if you feel like something decadent during your healthy eating regime. It tastes like a treat without being too naughty. I like to use orange sweet potatoes or yams to get a really nice depth of flavour. The maple syrup adds to the mixture beautifully, and the spices round out the flavours nicely. You could always add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to make this smoothie more affordable if you don’t want to purchase each individual spice.

**Similarly, with the almond milk, you could use soy milk or rice milk to accommodate people with nut allergies.

Either way, this vegan sweet potato pie smoothie is divine!

Vegan Brazil Nut Berry Blast Smoothie

1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1 cup or fresh or frozen blueberries

2/3 cup Brazil nuts

3 cups filtered water

½ cup ice

2 large fresh or frozen bananas

1/8 cup chopped pitted prunes (about 3)

1 Tbsp flaxseeds

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

pinch of Celtic sea salt

Throw all the ingredients in your blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

By Tess Masters:

This berry nutty smoothie is one of my all-time favourite raw vegan smoothies. I make it every week because it is loaded with anti-cancer goodies and tastes absolutely delicious.

I don’t know about you, but I welcome any opportunity to throw berries of all colours and shapes into my smoothies. Berries are small, but mighty! Berries are full of anthocyanins that can help repair and protect DNA. They are also rich in cancer-preventing antioxidants. Each colour contains different phytochemicals, so mix it up and try to include as many different varieties as possible.

Berries look and taste divine! Berries are available all-year round fresh or frozen. I have chosen raspberries, blueberries and strawberries for this smoothie, as these berries are the most widely available in most countries. But feel free to use cranberries, blackberries, cherries or any other berries that take your fancy. Different blends will yield smoothies of slightly different personalities, but I haven’t tasted a blend I haven’t enjoyed yet! They are all berry good!

I understand that berries can get expensive. To save money, buy when berries are in season, look out for price specials at the store and stock up  and freeze them. You can also find fantastic deals on frozen berries at bulk stores.

Now for the raw nuts and seeds. I love to include raw nuts and seeds in my diet way to boost my immunity. Raw nuts are not only delicious and an extremely versatile way to add flavour and texture to smoothies, but they also contain essential oils and nutrients that boost the immune system and help prevent cancers from forming.

Most of us are familiar with raw almonds, cashews and macadamia nuts. But have you ever tried the more exotic Brazil nut? If you haven’t, let me introduce you to one of the best kept secrets in the raw nutty world!

Brazil nuts are the jewels of the Amazon. They are rich and creamy and contain the antioxidants quercetin and campferol that may suppress the growth of cancers; as well as methionine, which promotes antioxidant production and combats free radical damage which can help with premature aging. Brazil nuts are also one of the richest sources of selenium - about 2500 times more than any other nut. In fact, just two raw Brazil nuts account for the daily requirement of selenium. Brazil nuts are also a fantastic complete vegetarian protein with a full amino acid profile. They are also a good source of calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium and Vitamin B.

Things to be aware of when purchasing Brazil nuts: the shells contain aflatoxins, which have been linked in some studies to liver cancer. The EU have strict importing regulations for whole Brazil nuts for this reason. Always purchase raw shelled Brazil nuts from a health food store with a high turnover to ensure maximum freshness and quality; and always store Brazil nuts in a sealed glass container in the fridge, as these nuts are even more susceptible to rancidity due to their very high fat content.

I absolutely love to use raw Brazil nuts to make delicious creamy vegan dairy free milk when blended with filtered water. This “milk” adds a delightful depth of flavour to this berry smoothie. I love the selenium boost that these Brazil nuts bring to this smoothie, but feel free to use raw cashews, raw almonds or raw macadamia nuts, which also make this smoothie taste fabulous.

*If you are allergic to nuts or just want to make this smoothie more affordable, use soy milk or rice milk. These vegan milks also taste berry good in this smoothie.

The final blast of goodness in this smoothie is the addition of the flaxseeds. I add flaxseeds (also known as linseeds) to most of my smoothies. Flaxseeds are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that help to produce cancer-fighting phytonutrients such as lignans. Flaxseeds blend beautifully into smoothies. I try to include one or two tablespoons of ground flaxseeds into my diet every day. You can also add flaxseed oil to your smoothie, but I prefer ground flaxseeds as they contain both the fibre and the oil. You can grind your own flaxseeds in a coffee grinder that is not being used for coffee or use a spice grinder.

The cinnamon is optional in this smoothie. This shake tastes wonderful without it, but I think the cinnamon adds a little kick that elevates this smoothie from wonderful to superb!

Either way, this nutty fruit smoothie is berry, berry good!

Join us for a fun night of live music and awesome silent auction prizes (including sought after sports memorabilia) at Thrive Alive Foundation's first annual R&B Night Fundraiser at the Yale!  Proceeds go towards our Thrive Support Program to help people in need afford cancer treatments not covered by government or healthcare plans.

Date: June 10th, 2011

Time: 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Place: The Yale, 1300 Granville Street Vancouver

Tickets: $20 in advance; $25 at the door

To purchase tickets in advance (either cash or credit card) please call Stephanie Klaus at 604.833.0255 or email at sklaus@thrivealive.ca; or email Peter Thanas pthanas@thrivealive.ca.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Special thank you to our Founding Partner Backbone Technology for developing Thrive Alive Foundation's gorgeous new website!  Backbone Technology, founded by president Marcus Charalambous, is a local web development company offering integrated digital design, creative services, custom application (& more) to clients internationally. When first introduced to the Thrive Alive Foundation project, Marcus immediately wanted to involve Backbone and help us build the 'site of our dreams'.

To our lovely Backbone team, your generosity, professionalism, passion & dedication are so deeply appreciated... You are model example of a company with so much heart, a team of people who truly wants to influence positive change in our world. Thank you!

Photo (Clockwise from top left): Daniel (designer), Kody (developer), Marcus (founder), Galen (project manager), Stephanie, Walter

This month, many Main Street businesses of the vibrant and thriving Mount Pleasant community, will be supporting Thrive Alive Foundation for our Main Street Campaign. Inspired by our upcoming launch event held at Heritage Hall,  this campaign gives local businesses an opportunity to join together and support an important grassroots community initiative while promoting health. The level of involvement ranges from donation boxes to door prizes for our launch and helps us raise much needed awareness for our cause!

A list of supporting businesses will be included soon. If you own or work at a business that would like to participate, let us know!

Make sure you take a stroll down Main Street for some good food and good buys~ Thrive Alive Foundation thanks you AND the wonderful businesses supporting us!

In August, 2010, I was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Did I ever think it would happen to me? not a chance, but it did... On August 26^th, my ct scan showed my tumour to be approximately the size of a golf ball! I was scheduled to have surgery with the first available date in November…3 months away. The wait initially seemed like forever, but I insisted on incorporating integrative cancer care approaches in my treatment, which included regular Vitamin C infusions, elements of orthomolecular medicine, long walks in the forest (my refuge) and the basics for a healthy life. My surgery day finally came and I had my tumour removed. On November 22, 2010, I had an appointment to remove my catheter and that’s when I got the news – the incredible news that my tumour had actually shrunk to the size of a penny! I couldn’t believe it, in 87 days, my tumour shrank from the size of a golf ball, to that of a penny… thanks to the integrative non-traditional treatments that I was fortunate enough to try (I did not do any form of chemotherapy in this interval between diagnosis and surgery). My treatment choices made the surgery so much simpler than expected and my healing, almost effortless.

One of my passions is song-writing… my songs and poetry help me evolve and grow and I’d like to share this one with you…

A slow walk in the forest

A slow walk in the forest daily, is something I must do,

It gives me inspiration, so I can write this song for you,

The energy in the forest, fills me with golden rays of sun,

It makes me energetic, so I can sing and dance and run.

The trees grow straight and tall, they reach halfway to the stars,

Energy descends from heaven, grows tree trunks thick as cars,

The air’s so clean, the sun so bright, my steps so easy, my steps so light.

A slow walk in the forest, instills peaceful insight, and makes all things just right.

A daily walk in the forest, is something that I must do,

It makes me strong a healthy, and it can do the same for you,

There is peace, harmony and stillness, it permeates the air,

The natural sounds and colour, fills your spirit with universal care.

For beauty, symmetry, and love is, something tangible that you can feel,

A daily walk in the forest, brings out the best in you, it’s free, oh what a deal!

Life has the habit of sending you curve balls when you least expect it. While on DeCouracy island I became ill and my friends took me to Nanimo hospital.    " You have metasized cancer.  Prognosis  three weeks!"  the doctor told me.  You can imagine the shock, horror and desperation I felt upon hearing this news.  When my 19 year-old son arrived and I carefully explained what I had been told.  He  crawled in bed with me, put his arms around me and said, "Well Mom, then we have to have as much fun as possible"  That was three years, 7 months ago.

My oncologist informed me I had Leiomyosarcoma, a rare cancer that hits four people in a million. I would rather have won the lottery. Since the primary source of the cancer was in the uterus, a hysterectomy was performed.  They were unable to get all the cancer from the walls, so then it spread to my pelvis and both lungs. I was given the clinical trial drug Veg F Trap, but it did not work for me. Radiation shrunk the pelvis and uterine wall tumours but they were unable to get rid of it.

Although I was willing to try traditional cancer treatment, I knew I needed more. For me, I was lucky to try naturopathic medicine and acupuncture in the first three weeks of my diagnosis – and continue to this day. My naturopath and acupuncturist gave me the power to help myself and the confidence to believe that I had choices. I believe I would not be here today without their intervention.   I think the key for me was that I started alternate treatments almost immediately after diagnosis.

I am thrilled that the Thrive Alive Foundation has been established. Alternate treatment is so expensive and prohibits many (and many friends of mine) from seeking out  these  treatments.  Congratulations to the organizers for helping provide life-saving treatments to all.

Lance Armstrong once said, “Without the illness I would never have been forced to re-evaluate my life and my career. I know if I had not had cancer, I would not have won the Tour de France”. Even at my age (I’m 46) I’m a mad keen cyclist and Lance is one of my all time heroes. He fought long odds against cancer to win the toughest race in the world seven times in a row.

On January 25th 2008 I was also diagnosed with the disease that in reality touches everyone’s life in some way. My own personal version was stage 3 colon cancer and I was given a fifty-fifty chance of survival. My life also changed forever. Following the diagnosis procedures moved extremely quickly. I had surgery within the month and then was given an intensive eight-month course of chemotherapy. If I had the means, integrative therapy would have been part of my cancer plan – but as a new immigrant to Canada, it was simply out of the question.

I am a sculpture by profession, but my work became nonexistent over night; I was completely unable to deal with the notion of making what could well be my final works… ever. This fallow period became both frustrating and barren for me. It took almost eighteen months before I was ready and confident enough to engage in the creative process again and begin making work. I truly believe that my work and creativity helped me heal and enter the new phase of my life – and how fortunate I am to be able to create again.

My latest body of work emerged from my experience with cancer and represents a genuine, honest attempt by myself to explore and evaluate my own very changed human condition within the sculptural context. In a sense, the works are a kind of therapy and represent an irresistible urge from myself to pull some light from the darkness, some shred of positive energy to cancel out the negative. To try and make some sense of it all and have a deeper understanding of the rollercoaster journey into cellular purgatory.

The work is essentially about the ongoing experience, an attempt to contextualize in the physical the effects both on me as a person and at a more intense, visceral level the inevitable neurosis within.

Lance also said, “I want to die at 100 years old with an American flag on my back and the star of Texas on my helmet after screaming down an alpine descent on a bicycle at 120 kilometres an hour” I’d like to be riding right there with him.......