Lancers Fight Cancer

This is the reason I support NHBCC:
7 years ago, one of my closest friends lost her life at the age of 40. In the end, it was brain cancer that took her life, but it started out with a diagnosis of breast cancer when she was in her mid-20s. She beat the cancer 4 separate times throughout the next 15 years. She is the strongest person I've ever known. She always had a smile on her face and faith in her heart. Her name was Kristin Boudreau. She grew up in Bedford and graduated from Manchester High School West. She owned her own photography business in Manchester called Rheault Photographers. She was an incredibly talented artist - she attended Savannah College of Art and Design. For many years, she was Manchester School District's official photographer. That's how I met her. She was my mentor and she was my friend.

Since she owned her own business, it was extremely difficult for her to pay her bills while she was going through treatments. She simply did not have the strength or energy to hold up a camera during these times. My husband and I often worked with her parents to try to keep the business afloat until she could come back, but it wasn't enough to cover the enormous medical bills. New Hampshire Breast Cancer Coalition was there for her to provide additional support. She always told me that I should donate to them because they support the individuals who really need help in the area. When I give the donation to NHBCC, I will certainly say that it is from Londonderry High School and the entirety of Lancer Nation, but I will be donating in Kristin's memory.

I don't have many photos of us together...when you're both photographers, it turns out you are rarely in front of the camera together...but this is us somewhere in the middle of climbing 61 flights of stairs to support MS research. (Yeah...she's the type of person who climbed 61 flights of stairs to support a cause for a friend while she herself was battling stage 4 cancer.)