Heidi is our model for our 2007 Reserve Chardonnay.

Being alive is being beautiful.

Like a thief, cancer took her breasts, her hair, her fertility, but it could not rob her of her spirit. Heidi was diagnosed with stage 3 b inflammatory breast cancer.  Because of the aggressive nature of her cancer, she was told not to expect to live more than 18 months. Her life was to end at age 34.

Heidi turned to a wide variety of resources to enable her to fight her breast cancer.  She scoured the internet for information.  “That turned out to be more upsetting than helpful,” she offers.  Social workers, nurses, and cancer survivors came to her aid.  She was diligent to filter any and all information through her doctor so as to individualize the experience. “I felt like a number, and the whole medical process felt impersonal.  As I progressed through treatment, I sought out doctors who supported my overall well being.”

The medical treatments Heidi endured were extensive; they included a double mastectomy, numerous rounds of high dose chemotherapy, thirty-three radiation treatments, a hysterectomy, lupron injections, tamoxifan, and arimidex. “I had a dramatic response to chemotherapy.  Once my breasts were removed and no cancer was found in my lymph nodes, I felt that the odds were more in my favor.”

She did not succumb to the disease.  If anything, she survived and thrived beyond expectation.  The price she paid for this survival was high, but the rewards were worth it. “I survived for my son and for my husband,” says Heidi.  “I crawled back from the dead with a heart full of purpose and a desire to spread hope to others suffering from cancer.”

With her medical nightmare nearing its end, Heidi shifted her focus to moving forward.  That meant devoting her time and energy to helping others with cancer and to spreading awareness. At a time when she thought her life would end shortly, she had begun a written and pictorial legacy for her son.  This morphed into a book titled Waiting for Wings which exemplifies the metamorphosis Heidi had to endure through her cancer struggle. “This book is my heart and soul on paper.  I hope that it inspires, educates, and encourages anyone dealing with breast cancer.  It is more than a story about surviving cancer; it is a love story between a man and woman, a story of the human spirit and a call to rise up from adversity.”  Waiting for Wings  is a unique blend of narrative, poetry and photographs. “After reading this book, I hope those battling cancer will be inspired to see their own struggles as a way to find their wings.”

With a heart full of purpose and a mission to spread hope, Heidi is very active as a public speaker for various cancer support groups and organizations.  “Sharing my story with others who might benefit from my experiences is a passion of mine.  I believe that what I have gone through can be used to assist others who face the darkness of a cancer diagnosis.  We don’t have to be alone and there is hope out there.  We’re all in this together.”

To raise money and awareness, Heidi founded Buttons-n-Dollars, a non-profit organization focused upon helping uninsured and underinsured cancer patients.  Buttons-n-Dollars takes donated jewelry and makes art from it.  These pieces of art are available for purchase or may be rented to use for motivational purposes. The website www.WaitingForWings.com offers a look at some of this art.  It also chronicles Heidi’s cancer journey with pictures and stories of her experiences.  “What I dealt with in my battle with breast cancer might be of use to others as they wage their war with the disease.  I want to use it to help them.  As I say in my public speaking engagements, ‘Don’t leave this life with your potential still inside; unfold your wings and fly’.”  Heidi, with the love of her family and an unshakable faith, is now soaring.

About Heidi

Heidi and her husband Troy and son Blake make their home in Battle Ground, Washington.  She enjoys a full life as a mother and wife. She works diligently with her Buttons-n-Dollars organization and is committed to fighting breast cancer as she speaks to numerous groups and audiences.