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Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Cancer Girl Earns Whom You Know's Highest Recommendation!

These days, it seems almost everyone I know has some kind of personal experience with cancer. Whether they are battling it themselves, or have a friend or loved one battling it, cancer has affected nearly everyone's lives. When someone you know is being treated for cancer, it's hard to know exactly what to say. You want to let them know you're thinking of them, but a lot of phrases ("We'll get through this together," "Everything happens for a reason," etc.), although well-intentioned, come out sounding forced or trite. Enter: Cancer Girl, a.k.a. Kathy Honey-Murphy. Diagnosed with Stage 3A breast cancer in August, Ms. Murphy went through a double mastectomy, 8 rounds of chemotherapy, and 28 sessions of radiation. Throughout it all, she did her best to maintain a positive outlook and to try to find humor in what she was going through. Recognizing that her attitude was an immense help, and pairing this with the fact that people often don't know what to say to friends or loved ones undergoing cancer treatment, she created a line of cards to help patients and their friends navigate the difficult times. Infused with humorous observations based on her own personal experiences, Cancer Girl's cards are terrific icebreakers and a welcome change from typical, run-of-the-mill "get well soon" cards. 
 One of my favorites shows the bald Cancer Girl cartoon character on the front, sitting in front of a mirror, and holding a tub of makeup. She has a distressed look on her face, and the thought bubble above her head says "Blend to Hairline?" And then the message inside says "Don't worry, I'll help you figure out all the little things...and the big ones too!" Perfect! Additionally, Ms. Murphy has designed thank-you cards for patients to send to their supporters - featuring a cape-wearing Cancer Girl on the front, with the words, "Thank You," the inside of the cards read: "I'm glad I don't have to do this alone." Again, just right - it doesn't try to be flowery or overly mushy; it just says what is likely on the mind of the patient as he/she writes thank-you notes. Truly a breath of fresh air, the Cancer Girl line of cards is a great way to open up communication between cancer patients and their loved ones, and one that will bring a smile to their faces.
Put on your cape, and fly with the C girl as she battles and conquers via greeting cards. Humorous and sure to give a chuckle, these notecards are apt, and cancer appropriate. Since we all know people going through the rigors of chemo, or radiation therapy, Cancer Girl confronts her inner demons ( literally), and puts it all out there. For cancer patients, to send out to the world as "Thank you" notes, or greeting cards, but as gifts to them and their families, when you don't know what to do or say. These cards say it for you. The catch phrase is "Fighting back with Attitude" brings a smile, and the anime in cat-eye glasses says the rest. Here is a person who, when given lemons, makes lemonade. And adds her own touch of the magic brew to the concoction! Non-elitist, tongue- in -cheek, and heart-warming in concept, Cancergirl cards bridge that gap and forge ahead, where there is only hope, and joy, and humor. 

Having a family member or friend who is diagnosed with cancer is extremely difficult, depressing, and sad. So much negativity surrounds this disease, and it can be hard to find any sense of hope. Now, there is a way to brighten up some of the gloom that comes with this awful ordeal. Cancer Girl has created unique and funny greeting cards for people dealing with cancer. These cards will make you laugh and smile. They bring light and hope to both cancer patients and their loved ones. I have always believed that a positive outlook can help the most dire of situations. They say laughter is the best medicine, and these cards deliver just that!
Cancer is a disease that you probably would not even wish on your worst enemy. As soon as you have it, nobody looks you the same. I know this because my father died of cancer and I remember the way people looked at him when he was sick. No matter how hard they tried the could not get the pity out of their eyes. For women with breast cancer it is the same way. However, women have been empowering themselves in many different ways. For one survivor it was about making a lighter situation out of the serious one. Kathy Honey-Murphy started calling herself Cancer Girl which helped her be upfront and about what she was going through but at the same time it allowed friends and family to be more at ease around her. They were able to address it and talk about it adding a bit of humor. She then created a line of Cancer Girl cards that help alleviate the seriousness of the disease and empower her a bit that she is stronger than the cancer. The cards range in design from a bald headed patient as a super hero to some of making light of the situations and stages during your treatment.


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Thank you for you interest in Cancer Girl cards! My name is Kathy Honey– Murphy and my company is called Cancer Girl. It is a greeting card line that is an uplifting and sometimes humorous look at going through cancer treatment. It is printed in the United States and our orders are fulfilled by a company called AccessAbility Inc that employs people with special needs.

I was diagnosed with stage 3A breast cancer in August of 2011. I had a double mastectomy with reconstruction, 8 rounds of chemotherapy and 28 sessions of radiation. This was a lot at 49 years old. 

I was fortunate to have a wonderful circle of friends and family to help. Every doctor told me that I was going to be just fine and a good attitude helps immensely. When you receive a diagnosis of cancer, you learn one thing right away, people do not know what to say and it is always the elephant in the room.

I decided that I was going to have a good attitude (most days) and would try to find the humor in what I was going through. I posted humorous observations on my face book page and realized quickly that if I found humor in my situation, it put others at ease. 

Many of these cards are from my personal experiences and if we can laugh, it can make everything better in the long run. Cancer patients need your love, support and understanding. They also need to talk about their cancer as it is their life, now and in the future. I want these cards to bring a smile and a laugh, even if for a moment. I also want to help those supporting the cancer patient by helping them to know what to say. The messages inside the cards are what you should say to a cancer patient. We never know what tomorrow will bring, so we need a little laugh for today and we will fight back with attitude!

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