Minn. Woman's 'CancerGirl' Cards Offer Solace With Humor
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- When you hear a friend or family member is diagnosed with cancer, it's often said that the toughest part is knowing what to say. Now, one Brooklyn Center woman's newest business venture is looking to help.
Kathy Honey-Murphy, 49, was diagnosed with Stage-3 breast cancer in August of 2011. A double mastectomy, eight rounds of chemotherapy and 28 sessions of radiation later, Honey-Murphy is now hopeful she's beaten cancer.
Now that's she's feeling better, she's putting into action an idea born from her battle.
"When you told people you had cancer, first of all, you got a look like, "oh, I'm sorry,'" Honey-Murphy said.
That's not the response she says cancer victims want.
This, however, is: "You just happen to have cancer. It does not mean that you are going to die tomorrow. You are the same person before you knew. Now, we both know," Honey-Murphy said, reading her card. "Yet, you will do what you need to do. You are still the same person."
Honey-Murphy said you can trust her with this response. After all, it takes a cancer victim to know what to say.
Her business idea came while looking at a make-up foundation bottle.
"I read the bottle and it said, 'blend into the hairline,' and I thought, 'Hmm, well, where am I supposed to stop?' And I posted that on my Facebook page and everybody was commenting on it and liking and laughing," Honey-Murphy said.
Through humor, she could break the barrier, which is that awkward silence. After that, people felt comfortable asking the tough questions.
Honey-Murphy's hope is it'll move others fighting the fight, too.
"We will take it one day at a time. We will fight back with attitude. You just happen to have cancer," Honey-Murphy read.
The "Cancer Girl" cards are available in 21 stores across the Midwest. For information on how to purchase the cards online, visit the Facebook page.
