This cancer survivor’s jewelry line is as inspiring as her story

Sally Waite has always been a fighter. She was 31 years old and seven months pregnant with her first child when she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. From that day forward, she embarked on a life changing physical and mental journey from hardship to strength. Before her diagnosis, she dreamed of starting a jewelry company with her aunt and dear friend Sally Jane. Even as she fought cancer, she refused to give up on this dream. The result of this passion is Sally Jane, the jewelry company she began after beating her first bout of the disease.

She has recently experienced a setback with her cancer but says that this will not deter her in either her entrepreneurial pursuits or being the best mom she can be (her son, Sam, is now 2!). Instead, her continuing fight will only give more meaning to Sally Jane and hopefully inspire all who encounter it to find their personal inner strength.

Name: Sally Waite

Company: Sally Jane

Year founded: 2015

Twitter: @sallyjanebuzz

Facebook: SallyJaneJewelry

Instagram:@SallyJaneJewelry

What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?

I would tell my 20-year-old self to use this time to explore and find what it is I was meant to do. With no real responsibility, there is no better time to go for something and fail. I would also acknowledge that you never know what is waiting around the corner in life, and there is no time like the present to be yourself, laugh and to become what you have always wanted.

Do you have any words for others who might be facing cancer or similar medical hardships and are looking to find motivation and hope?

Being faced with a serious medical issue or other hardship in life can be overwhelming. There truly is not one way to cope; we are all different. The best doctors and friends recognize that you are an individual going through a personal experience. Seek out like-minded people who do not treat you like a number or statistic.

When things like this happen, we can become scared about life and isolate ourselves from our communities. The best thing for me was to stay involved with family, friends and my neighbors. We need one another to get through this life.

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