Irma Klink with daughters Sasha and Francesca have much to celebrate this Mother’s Day — the opening of their new boutique AND survivng breast cancer.
HOUSTON – Mothers soon know what traits are inherited by their children. They look to see their smiles reflected on their children’s faces or a familiar sparkle in the corner of their eyes. They want to share interests and passions. But no mother ever wants to share the pain of hearing, “You have breast cancer” with her daughter.
Sasha Klein shares her story with staff from The Rose at the soft opening of Cure & Co., a boutique in Sugar Land focused on women going through cancer treatments that she opened with her mother Irma Klink, also a survivor.
Yet Irma Klink did exactly that when – as a five-year survivor – she was there to hear the same diagnosis for her then 31-year-old daughter Sasha Klein. Since the characteristically upbeat Sasha had suspected the grim news, she told her mother prior to sitting down with the doctor, “If it’s cancer, you’re taking me on a shopping spree!”
Ultimately it was a shopping trip that created an even stronger bond between the mother/daughter.
While shopping for a wig after Sasha was diagnosed, the two attractive and fashion-conscious women were struck by how depressing and unappealing their options were. Soon, they erupted in laughter as they nixed most of what they were seeing. And then they say Divine intervention came upon them.
“We turned a sad moment into a happy wig shopping experience,” said Irma. “I turned to my daughter and we both had the same idea — a cancer wellness boutique and studio spa. All women want to look and feel beautiful. And why not? Cancer shouldn’t stop us from being fabulous.”
Cure & Co. is the result of the collaborative efforts of Irma and Sasha. Irma, an artist, brings her sense of style to the small space that includes lingerie and swimsuits for women post-mastectomy as well as jewelry and handbags that can easily hide drainage kits. Sasha, an aesthetician who cares for many familiar faces often seen in the news, relies on her expertise for the selection of specialty skincare products and radiation creams. She even offers complimentary one-on-one makeup tutorials and facials for those going through chemotherapy through a program they’ve launched called “Fighting Facial.”
This belief in giving back comes partly from the experience of having had to receive help themselves. Both women were without insurance when they got the news of their cancers. Irma had just stopped working when she found her lump. Sasha, a young mother of two, had decided to forego insurance for a few months in order to save up for some items for her children.
So both women came to The Rose. The Rose is a nonprofit breast health organization that serves both insured and uninsured women and helps navigate those with a cancer diagnosis to treatment.
“I am thrilled that we could be there for both Irma and Sasha,” said Dorothy Gibbons, Co-Founder and CEO of The Rose. “We know a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer increases if her mother, sister, and/or daughter have been diagnosed with the disease. Women, like Sasha, are why we never say, ‘You’re too young for a mammogram.’ Because that woman is not too young for breast cancer.”
Last year, The Rose diagnosed more than 300 women – almost 10% of whom were under 40 years of age.
At the soft opening of their new enterprise Cure & Co. in Sugar Land, Sasha shared the story of her experience with special guests Dorothy Gibbons and Cathie Sublett and Sally Reyes, staff from Patient Navigation at The Rose.
Through tears, the young mother who was initially told not to worry, that “it” was nothing, but who found the truth at The Rose, said, “You saved my life. If not for The Rose, I wouldn’t be here today.”
To hear Sasha’s story, visit www.TheRose.org. To learn more about Cure & Co. visit www.cureandcompany.com.
