October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Learn how identity is contributing...

Last week my sister asked me to help watch her son Riley while she saw the doctor. Her husband is a firefighter & had to work. So she needed someone for a little bit while she attended to her health. She didn’t want to go to her appointment alone. Her mission: a doctor’s appointment to learn about the double mastectomy she soon will experience because of the inherited BRCA gene.

It’s something no one looks forward to, and as a man, I could never understand the gravity of the situation.

My nephew Riley & I accompanied her to UC Health Anschutz in Aurora, CO for her appointment. I was on uncle duty, charged with watching Riley while she met with her doctors.

The hospital was busy like always, we were running behind because of traffic & my sister was nervous and anxious. So I saw that the car was valeted while her & Riley transited towards the doctor to not miss her appointment. I met up with them while my sister was in line for reception.

My sister checked-in & I took her son. At first he was upset, wondering where his mom was going without him. Perhaps he thought he was at the doctor since newborns go there a lot. But he soon came to realize the gravity of where she was going. Even at 18 months of age, kids have that special ability to recognize what their parents are facing.

My man Riley & I settled into seating in the reception. And for an hour, Riley sat on my lap patiently - a tremendous feat for an 18 month year old toddler. He loves animals so we watched some funny videos of animals on my phone but that ended after about 15 minutes. Yet he continued to sit patiently on my lap.

Kids are funny. They recognize things, even at early ages, which we would never expect. I know my man Riley knew his mom was meeting with doctors so she could prolong her life, to see every thing he accomplishes.

After about an hour his mom emerged from the double doors she journeyed off to earlier and for the first time he jumped out of my lap, running to hug her; to make her forget for a moment what she’d experienced. Now I know why she wanted her family there, waiting for her.

Children are so special. I am first hand witness to an 18 month old letting his mom know he loved her & that he understood what she faces as evidenced by his patience.

I went through similar with my mom but I was a grown adult when my mom battled through her BRCA journey. I was an adult when she told me they found ovarian cancer. I was always by her side at the toughest of times but it was never easy. It’s still not easy knowing that if her ovarian cancer comes back there’s few options.

Yet, I cannot even imagine what that looks like for a young family like my sister. What gives me comfort is knowing her son, has understood from day one now, even if he doesn’t fully realize it, what it means to stand by your mom in times of extreme struggle & pain. His patience, for an hour, made me recognize that humans of all ages recognize the importance of breast cancer prevention.

This is why we proudly support the Susan G. Komen Foundation at identity Pet Nutrition. It’s personal for all of us. I’ve lost an aunt to breast cancer & I almost lost my mom to the BRCA gene.

Below you will find my story & my families story which I shared last year & I share again to bring awareness. We’re all about prevention or helping those experiencing breast cancer.

I hope you might consider donating so future generations don’t have to experience what me & my 18 month old nephew have & might experience. Together, with prevention, we can tackle these challenges which today inflicts too many women.

identity has always looked for opportunities to give back. We’ve considered how to do this since we started our business in 2018 and recently discovered an opportunity we’re very passionate about because of personal experiences. We hope to one-day start a non-profit to invest profits from our business into providing service & emotional support animals to BRCA and other cancer patients to help with the depression that can come with a cancer diagnosis & impacts the lives of millions annually.

You see, my mom & my sister are both BRCA positive. My grandpa died from pancreatic cancer - men typically express the BRCA gene with a high risk of pancreatic cancer if it does not appear in the breast. These experiences have informed us greatly and we’ve learned a lot about our family history beyond the immediate impact of the last 5-10 years. My grandpa & I planned the business we have today on paper before his sudden death in 2017 - the same time my mom was struggling through the latter stages of preventative measures for the gene. My mom underwent a radical mastectomy upon a BRCA diagnosis & when they went in to remove her ovaries cancer was discovered. She was an outlier - she was one of about 3 people ever documented with her diagnosis. The treatment regime was unknown. I remember meeting with her oncologist with my siblings to determine if she should do chemo or not. I remember driving my mom to Denver at 4 AM during her breast reconstruction, stopping so she could vomit from the sepsis setting in. And then staying by her side all day to make sure she was okay. Fortunately, today she is healthy & cancer-free. My sister will soon undergo a radical mastectomy & ovary removal. This toll impacts the entire family - both humans & our beloved pets who are dependent on human care & can sense when we’re hurting.

My sister is a Development Manager for the Susan G. Komen Foundation in Colorado, focusing a big part of her life towards helping support breast cancer initiatives & critical research.

identity Pet has already pledged $5,000 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation this year. We will also host a Doggie Hydration station for participants at the walk in Denver in October & we’re extremely excited to participate.

Yet we knew we could make this bigger by involving more people. That is why we will increase our contribution based on the money raised by our business between now & October 2024. We will be adding a tip line at identitypet.com - any money added to orders at checkout will be 100% donated to the foundation with a matching contribution made by identity for contributions made by you. Don’t feel obligated but we wanted to provide the opportunity to contribute to a great cause. 

Please consider donating if you have the means. Every dollar generated from the tip line on our website (at checkout) will go towards valuable research to prevent breast & ovarian cancer in future generations. We match those donations. And we will keep you updated on our continual efforts in funding such critical research & prevention! Together we can make a difference, however big or small it is!

Warm Regards,

Jeremy J. Petersen

Founder, President & CEO