In loving memory of Cecile Dubois
On June 15th, Amy’s Treat lost its compassionate compass when founding board member Cecile Dubois died peacefully at home with her loving family after a 23 year battle with cancer. Those that struggle with this disease lost a warm, caring and insightful advocate; those of us that worked with her at Amy’s Treat lost a treasured and much loved friend.
In 2007 when the principal architects of this non-profit decided that it would best be served by having the unique perspective of a cancer patient offering a spirited voice in our decision making policies, it decided to seek out and invite an active cancer patient to become part of our board. When the heavens align, it gives you all that you need and in our case that couldn’t have been more true when it brought to us Cecile Dubois.
We came to call her our “resident grass stain” because she was brilliantly unwavering in her advocacy for all those that she came onboard to represent and she did it with a combined measure of intelligence, dignity and wit. She could both charm and disarm with her innate sense of empathy and style and when she laughed it rose up from the very core of her and washed over you, taking you up in its wake and lifting you out of any sadness and despair. To be embraced by Cecile was to be held with love.
Her contributions to Amy’s Treat are without measure and will continue to touch others in a thoughtful and meaningful way for as long as we exist as an organization. Among many things, we credit Cecile with developing and implementing our program that surprises those that are affected by cancer with flowers at their door… simply to brighten their day. We recently renamed this program Cecile’s Blooms to honor our friend and fellow board member.
Cancer is the most heartless and vicious of thieves as it continues to take the very best among us as it has again now with Cecile, but it can never steal the pure essence of a person that becomes forever woven into everything she touches, every life and situation that she has changed for the better by not only having simply lived, but also by having lived with cancer. Cecile Dubois turned her disease into a battle cry and became a powerful and ready foe to this terrible and unrelenting disease by lessening its cruel impact on others. She beat back cancer, not in the conventional way of having physically overcome it, but in a way that will make this journey a kinder one for those she has left behind.
Cecile Dubois challenged us to “Dream Big” and that became our chant, our mantra and those words grace everything that we do and will continue to do as a charity.
We love you, Cecile.
Dreaming Big,
Your friends at Amy’s Treat.
