Written by Cynthia Lohr, a 17-year partner of National Breast Cancer Foundation
This past October, I visited the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) for my annual mammogram, not only as a patient, but as a daughter, a mother, a co-owner and second-generation leader of our family business, and as a storyteller.
I often feel anxious in anticipation of my mammogram due to my family history of breast cancer. But as I waited, the quiet hallway with hand-made botanical tiles, crafted by women with breast cancer, comforted me.
In 2008, my mother, Carol Waldorf Lohr, faced complications from metastatic breast cancer and passed away. Soon after my mother passed, my doctor ordered up my first mammogram as he had felt an anomaly in my breast. As a result, I received follow-up diagnostic exams every six months for a period. I was terrified to get my annual mammogram until two close girlfriends were diagnosed with breast cancer. It was then I realized I had to be a beacon of inspiration, if not to overcome my own fears, but to serve as an example to others after my mother’s untimely passing from metastatic breast cancer.
The women who created these beautiful tiles found connection and relief through making art. Each tile, imprinted with a leaf, flower, or delicate sprig or two, included a poem or a thought to remember someone or punctuate a milestone.
One tile showed a flowering tobacco plant, Nicotiana alata, next to a saying from Thich Nhat Hanh:
“We must be aware of the real problems of the world… Are you massaging Mother Earth with every step you take?”
Another bore a cactus—tough and blooming—and these tender words:
“We were women of homes and gardens
Now one is gone
One still digs
And we both are not so far apart.”
It hit me viscerally. That tile could have been conceived and created by me, for me—and for my mother, or any of a number of women who have contemplated a journey through life other than the one they had anticipated.
As I walked past the tile wall that morning, gazed out at the meditation gardens, and navigated profound feelings of connection and loss, I reflected on the women who came before me and felt my mother’s presence deeply. She lives on for me in the beauty of a cactus bloom, in the cool touch of glazed ceramic, and in the care I now take for my health and my two daughters.
This experience also reminded me that National Breast Cancer Foundation’s work is sacred. From breast health education to metastatic breast cancer retreats, no organization builds community as exuberantly and compassionately as NBCF, guided by its mantra of Helping Women Now.
Health is personal. Early detection is power. And as we begin a new year, if you haven’t scheduled your mammogram, consider this your loving nudge. Know that the advancements and innovations in care and the community support that weren’t available to my mother and to so many women before her are now accessible. If my mother only knew how hard we have worked to eradicate this disease that will affect more than 1 in 8 women and their families over the course of their lifetimes.
The Lohr family began the J. Lohr Touching Lives initiative to honor their mother, Carol. In her memory, the Lohr family has generously donated over $1 million to women and families facing breast cancer, providing them with the support and hope they need when they need it most.
To date, Touching Lives donations have helped fund more than 8,000 mammograms and diagnostic screenings, supported more than 500,000 navigation and support services for underserved women across the country, and helped pilot the NBCF HOPE Kit program, which has provided over 100,000 kits to women undergoing treatment.
These efforts, rooted in Carol’s nurturing soul, have helped create a legacy of early detection, dignity, and compassion.
National Breast Cancer Foundation is here for you as you navigate a breast cancer diagnosis. Visit our website to learn about NBCF breast cancer support groups, obtain free educational resources, or find a patient navigator in your area.
Donations are always appreciated, but there are lots of great ways to get involved.
