On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and compassion of women everywhere. At Look Good Feel Better, we see that strength every day in the women navigating cancer who participate in our workshops, as well as in the caregivers—most often women—who stand beside them, and the health care professionals who provide compassionate care along the way. We are also deeply grateful for our community of volunteers, nearly all women, whose generosity and dedication help uplift patients with confidence, connection, and support throughout their cancer journey. 

Here are a few thoughts we’d like to share this International Women’s Day.

“I am so proud that Look Good Feel Better is a national organization that sees, supports and empowers women. On International Women’s Day, I want to recognize that women are at the core of so much of what we do – they are workshop participants, volunteers, donors, supporters, caregivers, healthcare professionals and LGFB staff.”

—Susan Larkin
President and CEO, Look Good Feel Better

“When we mentor women, we don’t just give guidance — we gain a stronger, braver, more equitable future. Give your experience, your voice, your support — and you gain a community of women who are ready to lead.”

—Louanne McGrory
Board Chair, Look Good Feel Better

“This year’s International Women’s Day theme #GiveToGain, is more than a message — it’s a mandate. It speaks to a fundamental truth: generosity is a catalyst for equality.

When we give — our time, our mentorship, our influence, our advocacy — we are not giving something away. We are investing forward. We are multiplying opportunity. We are accelerating progress.

I’ve had the privilege of working alongside impactful organizations such as the Shoppers Drug Mart Foundation for Women’s Health, Go Further Women at Loblaw, and the Women’s Health Collective Canada — communities built on the belief that advancing women’s health and leadership is not a peripheral effort or initiative, but a societal imperative. These efforts prove that intentional collaboration creates sustainable, measurable change.

International Women’s Day is a call to action — at home, at work, and within our communities. Each of us has something to give. And when we give boldly and collectively, we don’t just support women — we reshape the future.

When women rise, the world rises with them.”

—Nneka Ezurike
Pharmacist, Pharmacy-Owner, Shoppers Drug Mart, Co-Founder, BBPC and International Speaker & Moderator

Before I was diagnosed with stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma, I lived a very active lifestyle. I was at the gym all the time, doing cardio and strength training. I loved going out and socializing with friends. I had not only a full-time job, but also a side hustle. Type A personality? You bet. I didn’t get much sleep.

Once I got my diagnosis, everything completely changed. My life as I knew it just kind of blew up. But it has been replaced with something fantastic, which is that I’m now really focused on healing and wellness.

These days, I’m doing yoga, mindfulness meditation, and reflexology. I’m writing and listening to music. I’ve slowed down and I’m really living in the present now, and the benefits have been incredible. I’m getting so much more out of life because I’m living every day to the fullest. It may surprise you, but what inspired this new way of living was beauty.

Undergoing cancer treatment is a very unglamorous time for a woman. I no longer recognized myself. My hair had been long, thick, and healthy, but it started coming out in chunks. My skin was dry and breaking out with acne and rashes. I’d had all these procedures that resulted in scars and lots of little marks from the poking and prodding. And during chemo, certain things are restricted like manicures, pedicures, and hair colouring. I had started feeling really awful. I didn’t want to go out – I could feel the social isolation creeping in. And so when I found out about the Look Good Feel Better (LGFB) program, I thought, you know what, it can’t hurt to go. And it made such a difference. 

When I arrived at the LGFB workshop, I was warmly greeted by the volunteers hosting the program and the other ladies attending. That alone made me realize, hey, I’m not in this by myself. Talking and laughing with the other women, and getting all these great hair and makeup tips, gave me a real boost.

I was given a bag of makeup and the items were just perfect. I especially loved this bright pink lipstick and a beautiful rose-coloured blush. I was suffering from chemo-induced anemia and looking really pale, and these items brought a much-needed pop of colour to my face.

LGFB was the first program that I was well enough to attend, and it was the first time in my cancer journey that I felt seen, welcomed, and socially connected. It was very powerful. The workshop opened up a lot for me. When I was going out afterwards, I felt like a piece of my former self had returned. I didn’t feel self-conscious anymore. I even started getting compliments!

The boost I got from the LGFB workshop was what started my interest in pursuing health and wellness activities. I shifted from a high-pressure, goal-focused lifestyle to one centered on healing, presence, and wellness.

I’ve really learned to slow down and enjoy every single day. There’s so much joy in living in the present. It’s very healing. I find joy and gratitude in so many things: the sun shining, a walk through the neighbourhood, a call from a friend, or snuggling with my adorable cat Marge Simpson. Having cancer completely changed my entire life. Surprisingly, it’s not all negative. I feel so blessed.

With February marking Cholangiocarcinoma Awareness Month, sharing my story feels especially important right now. I want other people facing a stage 4 diagnosis to have hope, knowing it’s not necessarily the end. And I hope that every woman facing cancer will have the opportunity to experience an LGFB workshop.

Psychosocial Support

Look Good Feel Better is here for you with emotional, social and practical supports and resources.

Cancer Support Resources

Look Good Feel Better offers free cancer support resources for the whole person—covering breast care, caregiver support, men’s programs, nutrition, and psychosocial well-being. From skincare and makeup tips to mindfulness, hair, wigs, and teen workshops, our resources empower confidence before, during and after treatment.

Resources by Topic

Skincare & Makeup

Hair, Wigs & Scarves

Breast, Bras & Prostheses

Shaving & Men’s Skincare

Teens

Nutrition

Self-care & Mindfulness

Psychosocial Care & Cancer

Additional Resources to Explore

Community Resources

For Health Care Partners

For Caregivers

LGFB Magazine

Facing Cancer Together Podcast

LGFB Magazine

Check out our interactive magazine, filled with heartwarming stories, useful tips, and so much more! Look for the play button on our feature articles! Just click to watch and listen as our experts walk you through skincare, fitness, scarf-tying, cosmetics, mindfulness and more.

Cancer runs in my family — it has affected six out of eight siblings, my mom, my aunt, my grandmother, my cousins, and even my niece and nephew. But I’ve never let it define me. I don’t even like to use the “C” word — I call it “the unwelcome intruder.” It infiltrated my body and so now we’re just working on getting it out of there. I don’t allow it to control me or have authority over my body.

Throughout my treatment, some things have stayed constant in my life, and this grounds me. I’ve kept working, because I love my job and it gives me a sense of normalcy. My children are there for me — I’m a single mom of four kids, 22-year-old triplet daughters and a 24-year-old son. I love going on walks with my little nine-year-old Havanese and reading psychological thrillers.

My faith has been another constant source of strength. When I had a recurrence of the unwelcome intruder, I prayed a lot. I was like, “I can’t go through this a second time. Lord, what are you doing?” And I received a message saying that this was not a journey I was to take alone — that this was going to be a community-based journey for me. I have a habit of isolating myself, especially during times of struggle. Thanks to this message that came through, I’ve been staying connected and sharing my journey, especially through the women’s connect group at my church. We all go through struggles in our lives, and my hope is that by sharing mine, it’ll help people to see their own challenges in a better light and to know they’re not alone or stuck. I know there’s an end to this.

It wasn’t just my church community, either. Once I decided to overcome my habit of cutting myself off from others, I was surprised at how vast this community travelled. More and more people outside of my church, outside of my faith, have come to walk alongside me. They send texts, stop by, bring me meals, go for walks with me, and even attend appointments. It has been really uplifting, encouraging, and inspiring. I feel held and supported.

This community extends to Look Good Feel Better (LGFB) as well. Losing my hair was a big thing for me. I cried and cried for weeks on end in anticipation. I just turned 61, but I don’t feel old —and I didn’t want to look old, or sick. My hair started falling out just two days before my LGFB workshop. I felt really shut down. I almost didn’t go. But I’m so glad I did, because the workshop really helped me get through it. 

I loved how the volunteer talked about hair loss — so calmly, so casually. She’d rip off her wig, put on another, and then switch to a bandana. Something opened up in me when she was doing that. It felt so freeing. I realized I was no longer stuck to my hair, and that it was okay that it was gone. My hair falling out felt like the end of the world for me, but the workshop helped me realize that hair is just hair. It doesn’t define who I am. This new perspective changed the entire trajectory of my journey. The workshop gave me my life back, basically. It was so empowering. As a bonus, I’ve been having a lot of fun with wigs, trying different hair styles and colours.

My positive mindset has really helped me through this journey. Prayer, connection, community — these have been instrumental. And I really do treat this as a journey — not just a medical, physical journey but also a mental, spiritual, soul-deep transformation. I don’t have to worry about the unwelcome intruder in my body because that’s what my medical team does. My responsibility is to make sure that I’m staying as healthy as possible, physically and mentally. I’m not just focusing on the cancer, but on making myself better. 
 

Promotional tools for our Health Care Partners

Electronic and print resources geared to help you easily and effectively provide the information necessary for your patients to benefit from Look Good Feel Better online and in-person workshops and side-effect related resources.