My Story
My Story
My name is Emily Thrall. I am a breast cancer survivor, wife, mother, and the owner of The Graceful Stem, a floral design business based in Puyallup, Washington.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 34, and I am so happy to say that I have completed treatment and am now celebrating three years cancer-free!
A New Chapter
After treatment ended, I found myself asking a pretty big question: What am I going to do with my life?
There is nothing quite like a cancer diagnosis to make you reconsider your plans and priorities. For me, one of the biggest changes I made was turning a longtime love of flowers into a career and starting my own floral design business.
Over the past year, I have poured my heart into building The Graceful Stem —creating garden-style floral arrangements for everyday gifts, weddings, and special events. As my business has grown and I have begun to feel more established, I have also found myself wanting to give back.
Because I am no longer a patient, but a survivor, I have been looking for a meaningful way to use my business to support other women—and there was no question about where I wanted to start.
Where My Story Began
Carol Milgard Breast Center has been an incredibly important part of my story since the very beginning, and continues to be a lifesaver for me as a survivor.
When I first discovered a lump in my breast, the imaging center I was initially referred to was booked six weeks out.
Six weeks felt like an eternity..., so I started calling around, hoping someone could see me sooner.
Carol Milgard Breast Center heard me—and they were able to squeeze me in and get the process moving with imaging and a biopsy.
While I waited for my results, I kept refreshing my MyChart page, anxiously waiting for an answer.
Refresh. Refresh. Refresh.
And then, finally, a result appeared:
Invasive ductal carcinoma.
Someone to Walk Me Through It
The phone call from Carol Milgard came almost immediately afterward. The nurse practitioner had actually been hoping to call me before I saw the results herself—she would have, if I hadn't been refreshing MyChart like a crazy person.
I don't remember every word she said. That part of my life feels a little blurry now. But she explained what the results meant and helped me understand what would happen next.
I don't think there is anything anyone can say after hearing the words “you have cancer” that can make you feel better.
But looking back, I remember her calm voice. I remember having someone walk me through what came next. And in a moment when everything felt completely out of my control, having a plan gave me at least a small sense of control.
Three Years Later
Carol Milgard has continued to be there for me throughout survivorship. They perform my annual mammograms and breast MRIs, and when one of my mammograms showed an abnormality, they were there again—helping get me in for additional imaging and making sure I received the care I needed.
I can't adequately express how grateful I am to the staff at Carol Milgard Breast Center.
So, this October, I wanted to find a way to give back to an organization that has given so much to me.
In October, We Do Pink
The idea behind In October, We Do Pink is simple: send flowers to a woman you love.
A survivor.
A friend.
A mother.
A sister.
A daughter.
Or simply a woman who deserves to know that someone is thinking of her.
Each In October, We Do Pink arrangement will be designed with beautiful, locally grown flowers, including pink dahlias, gorgeous roses, pink cosmos, yellow spray roses, and white stock.
And the flowers will do more than brighten someone's day.
Two Ways to Give. Two Ways to Make a Difference
25% of the proceeds from every In October, We Do Pink floral arrangement will be donated to Carol Milgard Breast Center to help provide mammograms for women regardless of their ability to pay.
We have also partnered with Van Lierop Garden Market to grow this campaign even further.
For just $25, you can purchase a bundle of 12 pink tulip bulbs, with 100% of your $25 purchase donated directly to Carol Milgard Breast Center to help provide mammograms for women regardless of their ability to pay.
The bulbs will be delivered right to your door this fall. Plant them now, and when they bloom in the spring, they can serve as a beautiful reminder of hope, survivorship, and the women in our lives who mean so much to us.
Two ways to give. Two ways to make a difference.
This October, Let's Do Pink Together
For me, this campaign is about more than flowers.
It is about gratitude.
It is about survivorship.
It is about supporting women in our community.
And it is about taking something that has brought me so much joy—flowers—and using it to give back to an organization that helped save my life.
This October, let's do pink together.