“I am a 34-year-old mother of two beautiful girls (aged 9 & 4) and a fiancé to an amazing man who has supported me for the past 13 years. It was diagnosed at 33 with bi-lateral breast cancer. But, in the face of adversity I decided to play the game…with a sense of fierceness and positivity given the cards I had been dealt. After a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, I endured 6 months of chemotherapy and 25 rounds of radiation. Pink Pearl Canada fell into my lap through a friend of a friend who had attended a retreat and told us her experience. Which, am I ever glad I submitted an application and was lucky enough to attend their March 2019 retreat with two friends who are also breast cancer warriors. For never having attended a retreat like this, I was apprehensive as to what to expect, but I can honestly say that I can’t wait to attend another one. Pink Pearl has impacted my life more than I think they could ever know. A cancer diagnosis at any age is one thing, but at the age of 34, there is no handbook on how to get through treatment and side effects with two small children at home, figure out finances and living expenses while unemployed or even sustain a relationship with your spouse. The retreat provided invaluable guidance and education on many of these topics. It was also an opportunity to connect with other women going through the same think who ‘just get it’. I am thankful to the team at Pink Pearl that their programs and efforts even exist for young women facing cancer. I can’t wait to catch up at the next retreat with some all-inspiring and amazing women!” – Kristine Dustin, Program Participant