We were incredibly saddened to hear that our treasured blogger and friend Leanne Coppen passed away on Tuesday.
As writers, the most we can hope for is to open a few eyes with our words – to make an impact. Leanne did this a thousand-fold. With very little promotion, her blog took off like a rocket through cyberspace. Living with Breast Cancer has been Chatelaine’s most successful blog to date and the reason: Leanne’s commitment and eloquence. She shared with us the gory details of her treatment, the pain she endured, and the fear she felt even imagining leaving her daughter. Leanne literally shared everything. Back when she started writing for us in October 2008 Leanne talked about feeling lame, like a “cancer couch potato”, in comparison with the indomitable, energetic cancer superpeople she would often hear stories about. After reading Leanne’s nearly 200 posts it’s hard not to tear up. It’s also impossible not to think of her as one of these superpeople. It takes an extraordinary person to share with the world the heartaches and triumphs that occur while you’re fighting for your life.
Leanne contributed immensely to our online community over the past year and a half with her wit, passion, and the raw honesty of her words. The Chatelaine team, and everyone who connected with her personally through this blog, will miss her dearly.
– Jen O’Brien, Senior Editor Chatelaine.com
Cancer is Crap 