My Story
I was born in Whitehorse Yukon, Canada where I lived for most of my life, and it was there 28yrs ago that I married my husband. I was a stay at home mom raising my three children. I kept very active in the community as a volunteer, a coach and an athlete.
Life was great and I couldn’t be happier, then in 1996 only 3 and1/2 years after the birth of my third child and at the age of 37, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My life fell apart. I never thought it would ever happen to me. As fate would have it, I was found to be a carrier of the BRAC1 gene. My cancer was hereditary.
Now 10 yrs after chemo, radiation treatments, prophylactic and reconstructive surgeries, I have happily moved on with my life. I am healthy, I play squash and work out as much as possible and live a healthy lifestyle. Most importantly I try to make the most out of each day given me, in honour of those who have lost their battles to cancer.
My husband, two sons and my daughter have been and continue to be my biggest supporters. At only three and a half my daughter was at my side taking care of me when I first went through chemo and she spent three weeks with me away from home while I received radiation treatments. She continues to be at my side supporting me through all my fundraising efforts and in my business, and together with determination, love and courage, we have created Beads For A Cure.
We pride ourselves on creating quality, handmade, unique works of art and jewelry that are meaningful to our customers.
Our products are not mass produced, but rather individually hand made by us. All of our jewelry designs are created with glass beads which are hand melted and formed by us. A unique art of wrapping molten glass of various colors onto a mandrel called Lampwork or Flamework.
Jenna's art is all hand drawn or crafted by herself. Now at the age of 14 she continues to be a very talented artist and I know that through her art she will continue in the future to make a difference.
Our Trip to Carmel
My daughter and I on a trip to Carmel. It was a time of relaxation, family time and inner searching. Together we enjoyed the energy of the ocean, the squeaking of the sand as we ran along the beach. Our spirits soared, and I watched with joy as the wind would lift my daughter to her toes as it blew beneath her wings. She is my angel, my hope and my gift. She is why I am so dedicated to finding a cure.
Our products are a way of providing support to anyone who is battling cancer, or as a means of rememberance to honor those who have lost their battle. Together, through our jewelry, we will continue to make a difference and spread awareness of a devastating disease.
The rewards of this business are the special people that we meet each and every day. Their stories and courage have not only inspired us, but have helped me personally heal and cope through the stress of everyday life.
We hope that our products will bring as much comfort to our customers as they have to us. It is an honor to receive your phone calls and letters of encouragement and to have you share your own personal stories of how cancer has impacted your lives. I know together we can all make a difference and we thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts, for all of your continued support and patronage.
-Shari & Jenna