It was a Sunday, two days before receiving the test results from my breast biopsy. I was laying in bed and was suddenly struck with the words "if you have breast cancer, you are going to be the biggest advocate in the fight against breast cancer that you can be." I immediately panicked. My mind was racing. Is this some kind of calling? Wait, what? Shhh, don't say that! I'm not going to have breast cancer! I quickly shrugged it off and pushed it to the back of mind. When I finally received the diagnosis on Tuesday, October 26, 2010, I panicked again, but I also took action. I started a blog within a day to share updates as well as to chronicle and document everything. Over the next few days, I felt a purpose bigger than myself growing - to bridge my passion for drumming with my new passion for fighting breast cancer. Within a month, I had come up with the slogan "Breast Cancer Can Stick It!" and had the first logo designed. Something was happening, no doubt.

I was constantly providing updates and details in my blog. It was proving to be therapeutic for me, and surprisingly, for others too. By the end of December 2010, just a couple months into the blog, five different people commented saying I should turn them into a book. Another month later, three more would suggest the same. This was becoming something I just couldn't ignore. Was this another calling? I need to release this as a book. This has been tugging on me for over 13 years. All that was documented from Oct. 2010 through April 2013, it needed to be shared. It could help other people. I need to do this.

I can't believe I'm finally here. In all honesty, I'm scared to death about sharing the intimate details in this book. When I say intimate, I mean INTIMATE. My thoughts, emotions, as well as my physical and mental struggles. More "TMI's" than you can shake a stick at (pun intended).

But this isn't about me. This is about YOU. This is for YOU. This is to give you hope; to remind you that you have a purpose. You CAN overcome adversity. You CAN do anything you can set your mind to. You are strong. You are loved. You are enough.

Let's embark upon this journey together. Breast Cancer Can Stick It!

April Samuels
Founder and Executive Director
Breast Cancer Can Stick It! Foundation, Inc.

By noon CT on 1/31/24, the book exceeded its funding goal for April to release her book, raising $15,260 by 142 backers! (See details here.) See Pink Carpet photos from the Private VIP Release was April 21, 2024. The event featured celebrity drummers Rich Redmond (Jason Aldean), Johnny Kelly (Quiet Riot, Type O Negative, Danzig), Lori Peters (Skillet) and Pete Coatney (Jack Ingram). See Pink Carpet photos from the Official Public Release was April 26, 2024 at Lava Cantina. The event featured celebrity drummer and foreword author Mark Schulman (P!NK).