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By Carol Ann Cole
with Anjali Kapoor
 The story of the founder of the
Comfort Heart Initiative is as inspiring as the power of the Comfort
Hearts themselves. Carol Ann Cole was born in Annapolis Valley, Nova
Scotia, and at the age of 18 left to find a career in the “big city” of
North Bay, eventually landing a job at Bell Canada. As she began to
climb the ranks of the company in the early 1970s, she realized the
obstacles that woman faced in the corporate world, especially a
single mother. She continued to persevere and became one of the
first female vice presidents of one of the country’s biggest
corporations.
And then her world came crashing
down.
Within days both Carol Ann and her
mother were diagnosed with breast cancer. While Carol Ann was able to
beat it, the loss of her mother later that year had a monumental impact
on her life. When she walked into a pewter store and discovered the
Worry Hearts, small hearts that you would rub in times of stress, she
knew she’d found the way to give back to the cancer community. By
altering the design and renaming them Comfort Hearts, Carol Ann created
the Comfort Heart Initiative and to date has raised over one million
dollars for cancer research. That little piece of pewter has become a
talisman for over 208,000 Canadians and their families.
This is a story of determination and
courage, and how you can accomplish all your goals if you put your mind
— and heart — to it.
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