Begin Your Healing Journey
Connect & Thrive
Connect & Thrive (CAT) is a social impact company for cancer previvors, patients, thrivers, and caregivers. CAT empowers women on their personal healing journeys by connecting them to our Marketplace of reputable practitioners and curated products. CAT’s partners offer evidence-based healing modalities and healthy living products that help prevent cancer, navigate a cancer diagnosis, and mitigate the risk of recurrence.
CAT’s mission is to help women CONNECT with a community of partners who can help them THRIVE!
Empower
CAT’s digital platform empowers women coping with cancer to take control of their healing journeys via their personal KittyFund™ which is linked to our curated Marketplace. 100% of a patient’s KittyFund™ is for her exclusive use in CAT’s Marketplace.
Engage
Connect with the curated network of partners in CAT's Marketplace. Our partners offer evidence-based healing modalities as well as services (in-person and virtual) and products designed to nourish your Mind, Body, and Spirit.
Educate
Browse our collection of articles, research studies, videos, and podcasts to learn more about evidence-based healing modalities as well as the side effects and symptoms associated with a cancer diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and thrivership.
How A KittyFund™ Works
Create A CAT Account
Enter your Email and a Password to access CAT’s unique digital platform.
Start A KittyFund™
Create a fundraiser for yourself, a friend, or family member. Asking for and accepting help are signs of strength not weakness.
Share Your KittyFund™
People want to know what they can do! Contributing to your KittyFund™ allows them to help in a meaningful way.
Engage With CAT‘s Partners
Use your KittyFund™ to purchase products and services in CAT’s Marketplace.
"In the face of uncertainty,
there is nothing wrong with hope."
~ O. Carl Simonton
CAT's Spirit Guide
CAT’s spirit guide, “Hope” (created by artist Hannah Bullen-Ryner), is a majestic cheetah, symbolizing speed, resilience, and achievement. As a member of the cat family, she embodies the grace, flexibility, and strength needed to navigate life’s challenges. Cheetahs are known for their determination and ability to focus, and Hope carries these traits with a compassionate heart. She represents an extraordinary capacity for empathy, offering precise insight into how to support those experiencing pain, hurt, and suffering. Hope inspires us to awaken our hidden potential and empowers us to strive for our highest possibilities. As the guiding spirit of CAT, she stands as a beacon of courage, reminding you that healing is a journey of strength and transformation. Hope is here to offer you confidence, to uplift you, and to reassure you that you are never alone. With her as our symbol, CAT embraces you with warmth, strength, and the promise of brighter days ahead.
Founder's Message
In the summer of 2004, my mother was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. I was her healthcare advocate/caregiver for the next 17 years. She was not only my mother but also my best friend. Then, in the winter of 2016, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and chose to be treated by conventional medicine. At the end of my treatment, I was deemed to be in remission and, five years later, cured. However, the underlying conditions that allowed the cancer to develop and proliferate had not been identified or addressed.
Since I did not have a genetic predisposition or family history of breast cancer, my diagnosis was deemed to be due to "environmental factors." Having worked as an environmental engineer for more than 25 years at that time, the irony was not lost on me. So, I embarked on a mission to bridge the gap between conventional medicine and holistic health in order to begin my healing journey which, to this day, is ongoing.
I started to spend a great deal of time in nature - in the forest and by the sea - with my beloved dog by my side. I was also inspired to explore healing modalities like acupuncture, aromatherapy, detoxification, massage, nutrition and diet, Reiki, and yoga. I was blessed to begin the work toward bringing my mind, body, and spirit into alignment. I was also determined to help others do the same.
Connect & Thrive (CAT), is the result of my determination.
My mother passed away in August 2021. Throughout her journey, and mine, I thought about how I could make a positive difference in the lives of others. True healing takes time, energy, and resources. It is not a destination but, rather, a lifelong journey. It is my heartfelt hope that CAT becomes the connection point for previvors, patients, thrivers, and caregivers to begin their own healing journeys.
