Kat Thompson, young breast cancer survivor has been chosen as a So Brave Model and Ambassador for the 2019 calendar and campaign
Local resident of Hervey Bay and breast cancer survivor, Kat Thompson 41 has been chosen to be one of So Brave’s 2018 Model Ambassadors. As part of a year long program of empowerment, each Model Ambassador will host fund-raising events and share her experience with breast cancer with the community to raise awareness that young women are also at risk and need to be breast aware. In 2018, So Brave will focus on awareness and education – presenting at schools, universities and among the medical community to share our stories and raise awareness across the community.
Each model will also participate in So Brave’s Breast Cancer Fund-raiser Calendar – an incredibly inspiring, colourful, empowering visual representation of the metamorphosis that each young woman has gone through. Each model is painted in full body paint and photographed for the incredibly body-positive calendar – to be launched later in 2018.
The calendar includes tips about breast care and breast health for women under 40. The calendar also shares the models and brand ambassador’s stories.
The calendar aims to create awareness for breast cancer in young women and fund breast cancer research to better prevent, diagnose, monitor and treat breast cancer, especially in young women.
Founder and CEO of So Brave, and Breast Cancer Survivor, Rachelle Panitz, states:
“2018 is set to be So Brave’s biggest year yet and we’re finally travelling across the country to Tasmania and Western Australia. We will continue to empower young women with breast cancer. We have chosen 12 brave young women from all over Australia to participate in this year’s So Brave Breast Cancer Fund-raiser Calendar. All of these model ambassadors have been diagnosed with breast cancer before they turned 40.”
The 2017 and 2018 calendars were successfully launched in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Models will begin to be painted with body paint and photographed for the 2019 calendar as early as February.
Your local breast cancer survivor, Kat Thompson, will be photographed in April. Sponsor of Kat’s page in the 2019 Calender is Kingston Hervey Bay. Spokesperson Tracey Messer said, “ Breast Cancer touches every-bodies lives, every little bit that we can do helps. It is our way of giving back”.
Kat shares some of her story here:
My journey with breast cancer began when I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in late 2016 just after celebrating my youngest daughter, Daisy’s 1st birthday returning to my job at a local law firm after my maternity leave and trying to live my life. I have 4 daughters and at that stage they were aged 1, 2, 15 and 18 years, my life was busy and so brilliant. From that point my life took a turn, I was shattered and shocked that at this young I’d been diagnosed with breast cancer, I didn’t ever think that this would happen to me! My world and my family’s world was rocked and turned on its head!! Over the next 12 months I underwent 2 operations to remove tumour in my breast and I had biopsies on my underarm lymph nodes with 2 removed. Then the chemotherapy started. I was hospitalised regularly for infections and severe side effects and then once that was done I underwent 30 radiotherapy treatments. I was in and out of hospital and medical appointments. I feel I have to now share my story to get other women regularly self checking, being breast aware and to help others understand and who may not know that breast cancer can present itself in any woman, it is not selective!
I’m so pleased and excited to be helping So Brave with their mission. If I can help to save even one person from my experience, or worse, it’ll be worth it.
Rachelle adds: “Fund-raising from the 2019 calendar will support So Brave’s Research Grants Program which will fund research to educate, prevent, diagnose, treat and monitor breast cancer in young women under 40.”
$1 from every 2019 Calendar sold will also be donated to the McGrath Foundation to continue our support of this fantastic organisation from our 2017 year of regional focus. We are proud to continue to support their ‘angels on earth’ the McGrath Breast Care Nurses in this way”.
Kat would like to give the following tips to young women to educate them about breast cancer:
Take time out every month to self check your breasts, be aware of how they look, how they feel and if there are any changes from the last check or the one before. Don’t be afraid to approach your GP about them. Follow the many self check info sheets available. Talk to your girlfriends, husbands, mums, boyfriends etc they’re your support and listening ears.
Always listen to your inner voice, you know deep down what’s going on with your breasts and if you don’t then find out.
Kat would like to share the following with other breast cancer survivors and people who are currently going through breast cancer:
“ You’ve got this! Don’t be scared about breast cancer, don’t let it get you down. Kick its butt, life is beautiful and stay strong!”
Save the Date
April 13 – So Brave Charity Fund-raiser Lunch with Bay Business Women – oceans resort function room. Ticket sales will be available on: http://sobrave.com.au/
Keep an eye out on Face-book at – So Brave Model Ambassador Hervey Bay – Kat Thompson. for the announcement of the local launch, later this year of the 2019 So Brave Calender featuring Kat and our beautiful Hervey Bay
Calender sales will open later in the year.
