The Recap

Lara MacGregor is the founder of Hope Scarves, an organization she created to turn heartbreak into hope after her breast cancer diagnosis at 30 years old and 7 months pregnant. Under her leadership, ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarves’ has sent over 14,000 Hope Scarves around the globe and invested over $500,000 in Metastatic Breast Cancer Research. Lara has received many awards for her work, including being named to ‘The 100’ most influential people fighting cancer from Mass General Hospital, Small Business of the Year People’s Choice Award for Greater Louisville Inc., 40 Under 40, Citizen Laureate by Younger Women’s Club and Louisville Charity of the Year. She was Louisville’s Most Admired Woman of 2018 and featured in many national publications, including Good Housekeeping and Cure Magazine.

In this episode, Jennifer and Lara talk all Lara’s incredibly moving and inspirational story, one that involves tragedy, hope, resiliency, and an indomitable will to live life. Lara opens up about her initial breast cancer diagnosis which she received while she was seven months pregnant with her son, Bennett. She details the struggles of balancing treatment while keeping her unborn son healthy. Lara shares the origin story of Hope Scarves and how it has morphed into a community based on support, kindness, and love. Lara chronicles her second cancer diagnosis and what made this one different from the first. She recalls how she and her husband guided their children through this dark time. Finally, Lara talks openly about finding her path as well as her desire to enjoy every day with a positive and loving attitude.

Episode Highlights

00:54 – Jennifer shares some updates with her MILF Podcast listeners

01:17 – Jennifer highlights two companies she’s been collaborating with, Loom and SoulKu

07:05 – Introducing today’s guest, Lara MacGregor

08:27 – Lara opens up about her breast cancer diagnosis

10:54 – The impact that Lara’s diagnosis had on breastfeeding her son

13:56 – Lara walks through the process of starting cancer treatment while pregnant

19:02 – Lara shares a funny story about the birth of her son, the ‘Little Red Devil’

20:48 – Returning to chemotherapy and treatment immediately after giving birth

23:24 – The origin story of Hope Scarves

29:31 – Lara opens up about being diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer seven years after her original diagnosis

37:47 – Lara recalls guiding her children through this difficult time in their lives

40:17 – Choosing to live life intentionally

43:34 – Finding her path and living life to the fullest

46:14 – What does Lara think about when she hears the word ‘love’?

46:20 – Where in the world would Lara most like to live?

46:32 – How does Lara define serenity?

46:50 – Lightning round of questions

49:22 – Jennifer reminds the audience to visit the websites for Loom and SoulKu for a special discount

Tweetable Quotes

“That procedure revealed that I had breast cancer. And here I was, one day picking out colors to paint our nursery and the next day trying to understand the difference between a mastectomy and a lumpectomy.”

Tweet This

“I had an estrogen positive cancer, which basically meant that my pregnancy was feeding my cancer. So, the heightened level of estrogen, all the hormones in my body made it just a really dangerous situation.”

Tweet This

“I talk about that a lot with other women and men that I talk to that are facing cancer. You just feel like you live in this alternative reality. You feel terrible. Your choices that you’re making are not choices that other people are trying to decide about. You are just getting through one day at a time.”

Tweet This

“Every time I put on those scarves, I felt Kelly’s love and strength. I felt like they carried these extra superpowers and that I was not in this alone.”

Tweet This

“Metastatic breast cancer is the stage of breast cancer that is terminal. The average life expectancy of metastatic breast cancer is two to three years. Right now, it’s the leading cause of cancer death for women under the age of fifty.”

Tweet This

“We didn’t allow ourselves to get caught up in all the unknowns and the ‘what ifs’ and the fear of the future, but that we really grounded ourselves in living life over cancer.”

Tweet This

“I don’t know how much time I have left. And I don’t want to live it being depressed and sad.”<...