Team Karen Foundation

The Team Karen Foundation

Fearless.  Fighter.  Brave. Spunk.  Courage.  Spirit. Love. Grit.  Faith.  Positive. Badass.  Friend. Wife.  Mother. Karen.  On August 11, 2016, at the young age of 35, Karen was diagnosed with stage 3 triple negative breast cancer.  At the time of her diagnosis, this hockey loving mother of four did not know what a profound and amazing impact she would have on so many people.  In the sixteen months of her diagnosis, Karen endured endless weeks of chemotherapy, 36 rounds of radiation, a double mastectomy, expanders, loss of hair and total baldness, exhaustion, insomnia, and the spreading of cancer to her liver, hip and brain.  However, every single day of those sixteen months, Karen took cheesy pictures, she played with her children, she cheered on the Blackhawks, she loved her husband Kenny, she goofed around with her friends and family, she constantly supported others and she never took a single day for granted.  Karen’s one outlet where she communicated with thousands of people was her blog, #TeamKaren.  There, she always posted updates and stories about her progress, even on the days of bad test results or discouraging news.  One would believe this blog would be sad or gloomy, but her attitude and positivity made it quite the opposite.  Her words and her actions always encouraged others to live their best life, to see the good in the world, to remember to love each day, and to always be grateful.  Even when she was given weeks to live, she never lost her tenacity or character, and still smiled every single day.  On December 15^th, 2017, Karen spread her wings and was called home.  But what she left behind for us was the message to always live life to the fullest, to be cheesy and do silly things, and to always remember that “It is a beautiful day to be alive.”

The main goal of the Team Karen foundation is to continue to grow Karen’s message of positivity and optimism as well develop an ever-growing community who encourages each other to always keep a smile on your face, no matter how tough the battle may seem.  Team Karen intends to create an environment where cheerfulness and joy is the common denominator in everything we do.  During her fight, Karen communicated with so many others who were also in her shoes; afraid, sad, confused and angry about a diagnosis they did not deserve.  She understood they viewed their days ahead as dark and miserable, but she always urged them to see the good in life, to continue to make memories with your loved ones no matter how dark the days ahead may seem.  Team Karen intends on raising funds to give cancer fighters a chance to continue to make memories.  These donations are intended for these warriors to use for whatever they should choose: a vacation with their family, a huge night out with their friends, relieving the stress of medical bills, or anything that will help these fighters continue to make happy memories with their loved ones and keep a smile on their faces.