I Was Wrong About Cancer T-Shirts

If I’m being completely honest, I’ve always despised cancer t-shirts. That’s not to disrespect the millions of people who have made them—I deeply appreciate the sentiment behind them and realize the importance of fundraising efforts. Let me be the first to say, it’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.

When people initially messaged me about creating t-shirts for Kara, my initial reaction was resistance. I thought, I don’t need to wear a billboard announcing that my sister has cancer. A shirt like that felt like it would be a constant, painful reminder of the reality we’re living. Of course, I’ve bought and been gifted these types of shirts before, and they always brought sadness to me—seeing them, wearing them, even thinking about them.

But as more and more people reached out asking for t-shirts, I began to reconsider. Because I knew one thing for sure: a custom t-shirt would bring Kara so much joy. So, I decided to brainstorm ideas with some friends. I wanted to create something different than we’ve seen before—something that celebrated who Kara is, not just the fact that she has cancer.

Kara is the Queen of slogans and catchphrases. She has an arsenal of them memorized, and one phrase in particular stuck out:

“Today is a new day with a new opportunity to make our world a brighter place.”

We say it to each other every single day. It’s a phrase we picked up a few years ago from the @missrproject on TikTok, and it immediately became a part of our daily routine. Kara has always made the world a brighter place without even trying, so the message felt perfect.

The Designs

I’m incredibly privileged to have a talented and creative friend, so a huge thank you to Mary Talbert for bringing these designs to life. Mary and I have collaborated on many fun projects over the years, but this one hits different.

• The Heart Design:

This one is simple, representing Kara’s ability to love big. The rays radiating from the heart remind me of the bright light she spreads wherever she goes.

• The Cheeseburger Design:

If you want to make Kara’s world a brighter place, cheeseburgers are absolutely the way to do it. This design captures her love for her favorite food, complete with teardrop-shaped eyes like hers, and hearts fluttering from the hand, symbolizing how she shares her love with everyone she meets.

When I showed Kara the drafts, she signed off on them immediately - she’s especially a fan of the color options (Go Hawks!) She absolutely loves them, and seeing her excitement made me realize just how meaningful these shirts could be.

A Change of Heart

I’ve been blown away by the love and support from everyone who has already purchased shirts. You’ve completely changed my perspective on what’s important. While these shirts were created because of her cancer, they represent so much more—they are a celebration of Kara’s light, her joy, and the incredible village standing beside us.

Speaking of our village, huge shoutout to Megan & Colin Sullivan and the team at Adcraft. Kara was so excited to work with her friends to offer these to the world!

Soooo a lesson has been learned, I’m a jerk for hating on cancer t-shirts. And I truly want to sincerely thank everyone that hit me up and pushed us to create these.

I hope these designs bring you as much joy as they’ve brought to us. My wish is that you wear them proudly, and that together we can make our world a brighter place—one shirt at a time.

P.S. - Send us pics of you rocking your Kara swag! Kara will love it!

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