OKA b. Shoes and Emory Winship Team Up to Fight Breast Cancer!

Oct. 13, 2009 - PRLog -- Kathleen Wetli, Director of Sales, OKA b. - Shoes That Love You(TM)

"OKA b. and Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute hold a special place in my heart.  In 2004, I started working for OKA b.  It was a  new company with tons of potential.  After  two years of hard work by me and my few co-workers, it was starting to take off.  The sales and brand continued to grow and  grow. Everything was great!  Then I was blind-sided by some devastating  news.
   
In October 2006 (Breast Cancer  Awareness Month - ironically), I was diagnosed with Stage Two Breast Cancer.  I was 33 Years old.  When I received the diagnosis, many things began  to go through my mind: Will I live?; How I will work?  I had the loving support of my husband and  family, but I was glad to find out that I also had the unconditional support of  OKA b.  Along  with family, OKA b. stood behind me, supported  me and allowed me to work through treatment and recovery.  As I would find out, working would be very  important to me.  Staying busy did not  allow time to dwell on my illness.  Continuing  to work at OKA b. gave me a sense of normalcy  and the feeling of being in control, while dealing with a disease that was out  of my control.  That's where Emory Winship took over.

Living and working in Atlanta,  I was able to access the internationally renowned Emory Winship Cancer Institute  in Atlanta, GA.   This is where I would receive my treatment.  At Emory Winship, I met my surgeon, Dr. Grant  Carlson, and his team including his administrator Jane Baab.  They were amazing both as medical experts but  also as an emotional support staff.  From  the beginning, they treated me like a human being – not just as a patient. Immediately after being diagnosed there was  someone talking to me on the phone and reassuring me about my situation. After  my first appointment with Dr. Carlson I realized I would be well taken care of.  He was direct and honest.  Together, we came up with a plan that I believed in.

After my surgery, I found out I  would have to undergo chemotherapy and would be losing my hair.  As a woman and professional, this was devastating.   I sell shoes to spas, which is an  image-conscious industry, so I began to have doubts and negative thoughts: "Who  would want to look at a bald girl on a sales call when they are going to have a  nice relaxing spa day?"  Again, the caring  people at Emory Winship stepped up.  They  guided me to the young women’s support group, where I met girls my age that I  could relate to and lean on, as well as a social worker to talk to.  Emory Winship even had a wig department with  experts who helped me find a wig that looked very similar to my hair.  All of the relationships that I built during  my time at Emory Winship were just as important to me as the surgery and chemotherapy  – if not more.  I will never forget what  they did for me and my family.

Today, I feel so fortunate.  I am 3 years from my diagnosis, and I try to live life to the fullest every day.  However, I never forget those who helped me through this unbelievably trying time: OKA b. and Emory Winship.  Both are still an important part of my life.  I just hope that I can give back to them, the way they did for me."

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Setting out to prove that style and comfort can coexist, OKA b. made its debut in the summer of 2005 as a fabulous line of American-made Shoes That Love You. Fashionable, fun and uniquely comfortable, OKA b. footwear is designed for stepping out in style.