Women's History Month

Today, for the "Women's History Month" Campaign we are celebrating this gorgeous and resilient woman:

Meet Kristin LaPlante, 55, mother of two, a warrior and a survivor with a happy soul and a heart filled with gratitude.

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you.”
- Walt Whitman

Kristin spent her early childhood in Connecticut until, at age seven, her family moved to Maine to be closer to relatives and the summer business her parents had purchased when she was two. Both of her parents were also educators during the school year, and from them she learned the value of hard work and perseverance—lessons that have guided her through every stage of her life.

"During my youth and throughout my high school years I was a 3 sport athlete. Gymnastics, field hockey and track filled my days and nights and fueled lifelong strength- both mental and physical. College took me to Arizona, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Broadcast Journalism from Arizona State University. Those years helped to build my confidence and my passion for connecting with people—skills that became the foundation for a 30-year career in sales, first in the wholesale mortgage industry and later in pharmaceutical sales." Says Kristin.

Life Challenges and how did you overcome them?

In 2008, my life changed dramatically when I became a single mother to my two young children, then just four and seven years old. I continued working full-time in the mortgage industry through the turmoil of the housing crash, struggling with financial instability while raising my kids alone.

Four years later, a devastating challenge arrived: I became the sixth woman in my family to be diagnosed with breast cancer; 7 years after my sister’s diagnosis. The news was crushing— for me and for my children. My son developed stress related-shingles, a rare condition for a young child, and my daughter began suffering with repeated night terrors. They were so frightened to lose their mother. Through many chemotherapy treatments and surgeries that first year, I kept working and participated in a 100 mile cycling event I had been training for prior to my diagnosis. Driven by the need to stay strong for my children and driven to continue to participate in fundraising events for cancer research. By 2017, I was declared cured. I was, in every sense, a survivor.

Then, in 2019, life shifted again. My 15-year-old daughter was rushed to the ER with severe blood loss, requiring two immediate blood transfusions, and was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. The years that followed were filled with countless blood transfusions, surgeries and over 500 days in hospitals, much of it during the isolation of the pandemic. My son, away at college in Florida, could only listen helplessly through phone calls. Yet, through it all, my daughter demonstrated extraordinary courage and resilience. Last summer, she underwent a life-changing surgery in AZ and finally turned a corner toward lasting wellness. She continues to show me what it means to be a warrior and to never give up hope!

In 2023, during one of her long hospital stays in Boston, I dismissed my persistent back pain as a side effect of hard hospital chairs and sleepless nights on bedside cots. Six months later, in April of 2024, I learned the cause of all my pain: my breast cancer had returned and metastasized to my bones—the majority of it in my right femur, hip, and sacrum. The news was shattering. Still, I was determined not to lose hope. Thanks to modern medicine, exercise, and a commitment to cleaner eating, I’ve reclaimed so much of my strength. From relying on a cane upon diagnosis, I’ve progressed to walking without a cane four and a half miles at a time, with a lot of energy, and I work with a trainer to continue to develop more beneficial muscle . Each step to better wellness feels like such a gift!

Today, every day is one to savor. Walking the beach, listening to the waves, and breathing in the salt air—all of it feels heightened and sacred. Life is filled with gratitude and grace.

What have you learned along the way?

1. Give yourself grace. Not every day will be a four-and-a-half-mile walk or a perfect day and that’s okay. Be patient with yourself; a new sunrise often brings renewed strength.

2. Lean on your support system. Let people help. I used to say I could do it all alone. Now I know that accepting help honors both the giver and the receiver. I’m forever grateful to my incredible circle.

3. See the silver linings. Shift your perspective. I no longer say “I have to go to work instead I say, “I get to go to work.” Gratitude changes everything.

4. Draw strength from others. Watching my daughter battle her illness taught me what real courage looks like. Whenever I struggle, I tell myself, “If she can do it, so can I.”

Here is one more of Kristin's Favorite quotes:

“What your mind can perceive, your body can achieve.”
-Author Unknown”

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Thank you, Kristin, for sharing your story and empowering others!