Our Mission
The Tigerlily Foundation’s Mission:
According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer is the leading cause of death in young women ages 15-54. More than 250,000 women age 40 and under in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lives, and more than 11,000 women will be diagnosed next year. Further, younger women often have more aggressive breast cancers and higher mortality rates.
Tigerlily Foundation’s goal is to educate, advocate for, empower and provide hands-on support to young women affected by breast cancer. The bulk of our funds go directly toward women in treatment who are struggling to pay their medical and household bills due the disruption that cancer has caused. We also provide meals and buddy support for women undergoing chemotherapy, connect survivors to those recently diagnosed and in the early stages of their treatment, and offer beauty and pampering services to women in treatment.
About Maimah Karmo
Author and activist Maimah Karmo is a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed at 33, when her daughter was only three years old. Determined to live to see her baby grow into a beautiful adult, Maimah harnessed her strength, relied on her own mother for support, and made a promise to herself that if she lived that she’d do everything she could to help other young women with breast cancer. She founded the Tigerlily Foundation in 2006, and gave it its name because “tiger lilies bloom and survive in all seasons — just like young women who are battling, and surviving, breast cancer,” she says. “My goal is to empower women struggling with this disease so they have the confidence that they can fight and win their battle, then turn around and help others who are experiencing the same things.” For more information, visit www.tigerlilyfoundation.org.
Why Tigerlily?
As an author and activist, Maimah Karmo wants you to live your best life, fully connected with those around you, utilizing your potential to the fullest and moving towards realizing your highest self in this lifetime. Her goal is to empower women by connecting them and closing the gap on things that separate. As a breast cancer survivor, she is committed to educating young women around the world about breast cancer; and empowering them to celebrate their lives every day by harnessing their personal power. Maimah is dedicated to changing the young adult breast cancer landscape. She seeks to impact the quality of care and lifestyle for young women affected by this disease.
She chose to name the organization Tigerlily because the lily flower represents qualities that are eternally feminine. “Like a woman, lilies are never dormant. They bloom and survive in all seasons,” she says.
• White lily represents purity, majesty and heavenliness.
• Yellow lily represents gratitude
• Calla lily represents beauty
• Day lily is the Chinese Emblem For Mother
• Eucharis lily represents feminine charms
• Tigerlily represents pride, prosperity and wealth.
•Lily of the valley represents sweetness, Tears of the Virgin Mary, Return To Happiness, Humility, You’ve Made my Life Complete
• Stargazer Lily, her personal favorite, is prized for its elegance. It is known for its heady fragrance and bold, beautiful colors.