3 beautiful women and their fights with cancer

In an October issue of Homemakers magazine, three women who braved cancer modeled fall makeup trends. Here's a look at the journeys they were on before posing for our cameras.

Donna McGrath
Donna McGrath vividly remembers that Saturday in 2005 when something in her bathroom kept brushing against her right breast. When moving the object away, she felt a lump that was later diagnosed as stage-three breast cancer.

Donna didn't allow cancer to control her life. She continued to juggle her job as an esthetician with raising her daughter, Mackenzee. “I didn't want to stop working because then you have time to think,” she says. “My little girl is the one who got me through this. I would always have her in my arms. I healed so fast so I could pick her up.”

Mackenzee was only two when she bravely helped her mother wash her scars following her mastectomy. Donna's husband, Michael, was also unfazed by the scars; he tried his best to make Donna feel good on the inside. When he shaved Donna's head three days after her hair loss began, Michael told his wife she had, “a beautiful head.” As an esthetician, Donna understands the importance of feeling beautiful. She attended the Look Good Feel Better (LGFB) workshop with a friend, and has since applied to volunteer for the organization so she could help women going through cancer treatments. It's a way to get out of the house, which, she says, is important to do. “Go for a walk. Do something. You're going to miss out if you don't. You're going to miss out on life.”

Now 37 and finished her treatment, Donna says she doesn't sweat the small stuff. “I have more important things to do.” First on her priority list: spending time with family. This past summer, Donna's family rented a cottage in Wasaga Beach, and they've also taken more family trips to places like Cuba and the Mayan Riviera in Mexico. Donna has lots to look forward to this fall, as she's getting new implants. “I'm going to have something in a t-shirt or bathing suit,” she says excitedly. “We move on.”

Click to continue for Barb Brooks' journey through chemotherapy on the next page..

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Barb Brooks
When Barb Brooks was diagnosed with stage-four Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in April 2006, she knew how important it was to maintain a healthy mindset. “Naturally, on receiving the diagnosis I was devastated,” she says. “I decided that I can overcome this by remaining calm.”

Only one month after her diagnosis, Barb became involved in activities offered through the Wellspring Cancer Center. “My first ‘focus on me' trip was to attend the Look Good Feel Better workshop…during this phase it was very important to remain looking good and feeling good about myself.”Barb still buys all of the products she received from the LGFB workshop. “I still use them daily. They're great products. Your skin changes so much so you need products that your skin can accommodate.” She also says she makes an effort to moisturize every morning and afternoon. “I keep my skin as best as I can.”

The side effects of chemotherapy take a physical -- as well as an emotional -- toll, says Barb. She recommends participating in activities such as Tai Chi, gentle yoga, Qigong, and music therapy, all of which, she says, “enhance the quality of life.”

More than a year after her diagnosis, Barb does yoga three times a week. “I would not look as healthy if I didn't. People look at me and don't know that I'm sick.” From the beginning, Barb made a conscious effort to be active, to feel good, to look good, and to still participate in life's activities.

“My priority since my diagnosis is to enjoy each day without any reservations. I take pleasure in watching the sunrise, listening to the birds chirping. Little things are so much more important to me.”

Click to continue for words of inspiration from Lina Prevedel on the next page...

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Lina Prevedel
Lina Prevedel has always been passionate about sports. For one thing, she works for the Ontario Indoor Soccer League for Youths, and her two sons, Enrico and Stephen, have grown up playing on several sports teams. So when Lina was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2005, she refused to miss any of her sons' games. “I kept saying I had to be even stronger. I can't let these people down,” Lina says. “Even though I slept through everything, I was there…Whenever there was a family function I'd still go.”It was Lina's family, both immediate and extended, that helped her cope with her illness. Her husband Ronnie assumed the role of cooking dinner and often took her teenage sons grocery shopping. Words of encouragement from her sons, like “You look great. You always look good,” reassured Lina when she was coping with her hair loss. Lina's cousin also recommended she attend workshops like those offered through LGFB. “When I was diagnosed I felt like the only one,” Lina says. But at the LGFB workshop Lina was able to take off her wig and still feel beautiful. “We didn't have to pretend it was our hair.”

From then on, she had the confidence to wear a baseball cap instead of an itchy wig. “It's more relaxing. More me.” A true sports fanatic, Lina didn't have the strength to continue her regular exercise routine while in treatment. But now, in her mid-40s and in remission, she's bike riding and going to Aquafit classes once again. Aside from staying active, Lina is always there for her family. “You always have to be involved,” she says. “No matter what.”

Find inspiration from more outstanding women with Shared Stories and Personal Growth from our Life & Balance section.

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