September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month! We asked our Living Beauty Marion to share her experience with metastatic ovarian cancer and how The Foundation for Living Beauty has helped her on her journey. Marion was diagnosed in 2006 with ovarian cancer and was given six months to live. She beat the initial cancer, but it returned again in 2009 with another terminal diagnosis. With her wonderfully supportive husband Moshe by her side, she refused to give up and she has been the epitome of a warrior ever since. Marion has been an active part of Living Beauty since 2015, attending workshops and programs as often as she can and becoming a beautiful light for all her Living Beauty sisters as she supports them on their journeys as well. Keep reading to hear Marion’s experience with Living Beauty!

“The Foundation for Living Beauty is the wind beneath my wings as I navigate living with metastatic ovarian cancer.

Through creative and well thought out thematic programming Living Beauty has provided me with a safe place to gather and bond with other cancer survivors as we learn and grow together through a wide variety of presenters and modalities. Body, mind and soul. The tools I have collected from attending these events have helped me develop healthy habits in exercise through yoga, chi gong and meditation. Through a wide variety of cooking classes and instructors I have learned simple easy ways to prepare healthy and tasty meals that have kept me strong.

A wide variety of healing modalities such as reiki, energy, sound baths, meditation and tapping techniques, just to name a few, have helped me build a healthy support network of practitioners and provided numerous tools to apply on my own. Through Living Beauty’s events I have developed healthy habits and practices such as focusing on gratitude, being present in the moment and finding meditative and calming creative outlets to cope with stressful moments or negative physical events. For example, during a recent hospitalization I used the Resilience Tool Kit to control my pain and anxiety. I did meditative walks around the ward floor repeating calming mantras and prayers as I walked off the pain. I used Y4C, yoga4cancer, stretches and poses to reduce stress and feel in control of the situation. All tools I picked up from attending Living Beauty events. I also stayed in touch with fellow Living Beauties who made me laugh and cheered me up. The friendships and bonds I have formed with other Beauties are powerful, uplifting, and forever.

The Foundation for Living Beauty has really kept me sane and forging forward through covid times as it’s kept me connected with others through zoom events and kept me stimulated, engaged, learning, growing and moving forward. When my husband sees my spirits or energy start to dip he always says ‘Time to sign up for a Living Beauties zoom!’ He’s right! Their magic works every time.

I am forever grateful to Living Beauty, their team, the board members, and the amazing programming that keeps me coming back for more. Thank you for helping me spread my wings and helping me ‘fly’ through many of the toughest times in my life. Forever Grateful.”

The Foundation for Living Beauty provides wellness and support services to women with any type of cancer and who are at any point in their cancer journey. If you are interested in becoming a Living Beauty or would like to learn more about how to support the foundation, please visit www.livingbeauty.org.