COOL wings

When Marla Zack of West Burbank, CA was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago she was determined to beat it. Marla had lost her mother, stepmother, an aunt, and several friends to the disease and knew her outcome was going to be different, "It was like a light bulb went on, I went into survival mode. I needed to see someone beat this disease, and it became clear that I was going to be the one to beat it."

After being diagnosed during an annual checkup with her doctor, Marla ended up going through a bilateral mastectomy, chemotherapy, and a hysterectomy after the cancer spread to her lymph nodes and now that she is cancer free she is not waiting until the five-year mark to proclaim herself a survivor, "I felt like a survivor straight away because the cancer was no longer in my body."

She now finds herself, after reconstructive surgery, working hard to bring awareness to the disease and raising money for cancer charities along the way. She is focused on a jewelry business she started that is dedicated to cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones.

She went to a jeweler friend after she created a picture of a butterfly around the breast cancer ribbon, calling it "WINGS OF COURAGE", and asked her to make it into a pendant. The friend, Laura Elizabeth, taught her how to make it herself. Marla's husband, Michael, presented the idea of stamping the word "believe" on the back of the pendant and her son, Sullivan, helped pick out the chain.

The handmade pendants can be bought on her website, www.wingsofcouragebelieve.com, for $100 with 20% of the proceeds being split between Young Survival Coalition and weSPARK Cancer Support Center. Here's to you Marla for having a can't be beat attitude, for giving back to those in need, and inspiring others to do the same-stay positive, stay generous, and STAY COOL!

What do you think of Marla's attitude to survive breast cancer and her efforts to raise awareness of it and money for cancer charities?