Here is how this project came to be. Long time fan and NST member Laurie Lagace has recently fought this battle. She is a survivor.
Many of you know Laurie or of her from shows on the east coast. Or perhaps you know her from the awesome photos she takes of the guys and shares them with you via the Nelson's Official Site. Gunnar was very moved by her story and asked what could we do as a team in her honor and in the honor of others who have fought this battle. Now is your chance to participate once again on a team level! We hope you will take time to read Laurie's story below. Laurie and the company she works for even made the news! We all wish Laurie the best!

Cancer... you think it will never happen to you...  but it can.
It was October of last year when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My doctor had sent me for a mammogram because she was always finding some lump or bump she wanted checked out. It was routine. Typically, I was having a screening done every 2 years. The results had always been normal. But this time was different.
Calcium deposits were present on the mammogram, showing up as small white spots. My doctor sent me for a biopsy, and cancer was found. It was shocking news since I am otherwise healthy and strong. I had no pain, and ironically, the lumps my doctor ordered the mammogram for, turned out to be perfectly normal. There was no lump where the cancer area was.
I was told at first that it was small, stage 1 (tumor size up to 2 centimeters). No problem, I thought, I can handle it. Then I went for an MRI, and the results showed cancer throughout the entire right breast, coming in contact with the chest wall muscle. In addition to that, my oncologist thought cancer may have spread to the lymph nodes inside my chest cavity. A CAT scan and PET scan also revealed that cancer could possibly be in those nodes. This was perhaps the scariest time for me because the doctors thought my cancer was now stage 3 (tumor larger than 5 centimeters) and possibly stage 4, which means the cancer had spread beyond the breast. It was a rough week or so, waiting to have those nodes operated on... but thankfully, the biopsy showed them to be clear of cancer. It was the first good news I'd had.
Chemotherapy was the next step, 4 months of it. More commonly, chemotherapy is given after breast surgery to kill any cancer cells that may have escaped to somewhere else in the body. My case was different. I needed chemo before my operation, to shrink the tumor away from the chest muscle so that all of the cancer could be removed. I visited the cancer center every 2 weeks, sat in a chair for 2-4 hours while they pumped some horrible, but lifesaving, drugs into my bloodstream. My nurse, Joy, was the highlight of these visits. She was always cheerful and upbeat and she made me laugh.
I was on a physical rollercoaster for those 4 months but I could still function. I never missed a day of work. Emotionally, I was okay. My strategy was, take it one day at a time. Get through it, get healthy, and move forward. Before I knew it, the 4 months had passed.
It was time to prepare for an operation. The chemotherapy shrunk the tumor so effectively that my doctors thought maybe I could get away with just doing a lumpectomy (removing the cancer spot only). But there was still one questionable spot showing on my MRI's. This spot was at the chest wall and couldn't be biopsied because of its location. It was deep and possibly invading the muscle. The operation would have to be either a lumpectomy in 2 areas or a mastectomy. I was advised to go with a mastectomy.
I had no problem with this idea because initially, prior to chemotherapy, I was told I would probably need a mastectomy. I had already made peace with it. In fact, I had decided if I was having one breast removed, then I was having the other removed as well. They said it was rare for breast cancer to reoccur in the other breast, but I had talked to at least 3 people who knew someone that had a mastectomy on one side, then had to go back later on for the other. I wasn't willing to take that chance. I would always be worried the cancer would return. And if it did, it would mean going through treatment all over again. No thank you.
On March 27th, I had my operation. My surgeon did a great job. Pathology reports showed the mysterious spot at my chest wall was not cancerous. I was cancer free, and radiation was not necessary. It was a 10 day recovery from the operation but I was happy it was over... and to finally know I was cancer free was  a huge relief. I was at the end of that difficult road...  it was my "after the rain".
I'd like to stress to everyone who reads this the importance of regular mammograms. I am the type of person who gets a reminder in the mail and sets it aside because I don't want to be bothered. My primary care physician saved my life by sending me when she did. If I had waited another year or more, the outcome could've been much, much worse. Please get yourselves checked and tell everyone you know to do the same. Remember, for me there was no lump! Don't wait until you have a lump rather than getting checked on a regular basis.
As I await reconstructive surgery, I look back and think, "you know, it wasn't that bad". I had cancer and I expected the experience to be far worse. But luckily for me, it was discovered early. My support system was amazing. My family, friends, co-workers and even acquaintances and people I didn't know extended their love and concern. I am eternally grateful to all of you. Two days before my operation, my co-workers arranged "pink shirt day", where every single employee wore a pink t-shirt with my name on it. It made the news and I'll never forget it. 
The day after the news clip aired on television, a co-worker told me an elderly couple approached him in a diner and said, "We saw that news story on TV last night. We are on our way to church to pray for her." Amazing, indeed.