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March 08, 2023
Happy Women's Day to all the incredible women out there!
This week we celebrate Kate's Strength, Resilience, and Achievements on our blog & stories.
It is understood that adversities are part and parcel of everyone’s life, and women often have to go the extra mile to overcome them. Kate fought back despite the unfair cards fate dealt her.
This week we will celebrate inspiring ladies who, like Kate, also established businesses while undergoing cancer treatment. The strength of these ladies and their tenacity is the common thread.
Today we want to celebrate Roisin, even though life has challenged her beyond what most of us could comprehend, she has thrived raising her family and developing her own business, 'Fighty Pants'.
We are delighted to introduce you to the Ray of Sunshine, Roison.
Written by Roisin -
Hello!
I'm Roisin; book reader, wine lover, gift maker, mummy of two and wife of one. Lover of the great outdoors.
MY DIAGNOSIS
I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 2014 when I was 34 weeks pregnant aged 32. It was, as you can imagine... horrific. I was induced 4 weeks early and Ivy was born perfectly healthy. The cancer took over everything in those early days and I hated it for it. The excitement and nerves of giving birth had been completely replaced with 'get the baby out so you can get the cancer out!' I recurred in 2018 and although I'm now classed as incurable, I'm delighted to say - I'm bloody thriving!
CANCER MADE ITSELF MY BUSINESS, SO I DECIDED TO MAKE IT MINE
After dragging myself out of hell, I decided that cancer had taken too much of me and if it was something I had to live with - then so be it. So I decided to make it work for me. And so ‘Fighty Pants' was born! I had received so many well wishes and gifts throughout my diagnoses - some were amazing and some not so much (Sorry.)
As horrendous as a diagnosis is, it is a really wonderful feeling if you're lucky enough to be wrapped up in love and well wishes (and yes, gifts and dinner on the doorstep!) People willing you on! I wore a couple of my gifts like lucky charms to every treatment and I felt that they really helped. You can become quite neurotic I think... for example, if something isn't done a certain way, something bad might happen. I also began writing about my experience and people empathised or familiarised with so much of what I was talking about. I'd utter words like "Goin nowhere motherfucker' or 'what a crock of absolute shit."
PRE-CANCER
I had worked in the Oncology unit in hospital before my diagnoses and I'd tried to go back but just being in that environment was incredibly triggering and I knew I couldn't stay. But I still had to earn a living so I decided to make some cards with things like ‘Goin’ nowhere motherfucker’ printed into them, then it was pin badges with positive mantras attached. I would wear my pins like lucky charms when I had to do something scary and it seems thousands of others do the same because it has grown and grown and I now sell with Not On The High Street and Not Another Bunch Of Flowers as well as Thortful & Scribbler! Wahhhhh!
I absolutely adore what I do and I love hearing from people who have found the perfect gift at Fighty Pants and how they’ve helped in some small way.
WHY FIGHTY PANTS IS IMPORTANT TO ME
As a cancer patient for almost 9 years now (WOWZERS!) I feel pretty fluent in the ‘what to say' and the 'what not to say' code.
Although I'm always learning. Using this to my advantage has created an audience who keep coming back when they can't quite find the right thing to say to someone who is going through a tough time. That is so incredibly valuable to me; it's one thing to have a small business, but when people remember you and come back to you makes it so worthwhile and gives me such a thrill!
Shop here - Fighty Pants
MY HOPES FOR THE FUTURE
My dream is that I will continue to thrive and my treatment will continue to work. I want to be able to experience all those little moments with my children. I want to sit in the back garden with my husband when I'm an old lady and feel that sunshine on my face. I want to continue to use my experiences - good and bad to help others and to show them that a full and wonderful life can still be achievable with an incurable diagnosis.
I would love Fighty Pants to be the place people think of when someone needs an understanding word or an encouraging gift or a perfect idea for celebrating the milestones, no matter how big or small.
The last few months have brought exciting things, including collaborations with some wonderful people through the power of social media. I’m so honoured and so pleased to be involved with Secondary Sisters, JustbeingJUles with The Roy Castle Lung Foundation and an incredible new foundation ‘Fighting To Be Heard.’ Being able to support them and help to raise funds is such a wonderful feeling, knowing that we’re contributing to change and education!
There’s going to be more collaborations with more charities and communities who want to help raise awareness and funds in their own individual style.
By April, there’s going to be another new range to celebrate 4 years in business and I’m so excited to show you some powerful, fun, light hearted, hilarious, maybe sweary but stylish new additions so watch this space.
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