For Johanne, Diane's Mom and many others with a story just like their's...

Please help fight for the Cure.

Diane did...and It's the Least We Can Do.

This is the Cover & inside of Diane's CD she made for her friend Johanne & Mom.

Here is the story from their local newspaper " The Voice of Pelham"

The story was written by Amy Kay

A local woman turns music into hope for those with breast cancer. Ridgeville's Diane Elliott released her first solo album, entitled The Least I can Do, late in December, in honour of her best friend, and breast cancer patients everywhere. Proceeds from the sale of the CD will go towards breast cancer research. When it comes to friends, there isn't much we wouldn't do for them. But what about those times when our hands are tied and we find ourselves powerless to help those we hold so dear? Such was the dilemma Elliott faced when her best friend Johanne Flikkema, of Fenwick, found a lump in her breast in early 2006. It was breast cancer, and Flikkema was diagnosed in stage three, with the disease having already spread to nine of her lymph nodes. "I was devastated when she told me she had cancer," said Elliott. "It hit so close to home because she is my best friend, and she's too young. I'm not ready to lose her." The two women have been close friends for a number of years. They met at Flikkema's Aviary, and bonded over their mutual love of birds, their each being mothers of four, and their sense of humour. "We spend a lot of time laughing," said Flikkema. Despite the sombre news of Flikkema's breast cancer, the laughter continued and the women grew even closer. After undergoing a mastectomy, Flikkema faced six months of chemotherapy and five weeks radiation treatment at the Juravinsky Cancer Centre in Hamilton. Over the next year, Elliott agonized over her helplessness where her friend was concerned. She decided the best way to help was to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research. "I knew I had to do something," she said. "I wanted to do something different; something personal." A nine track CD of cover songs was Elliott's response and contribution to the campaign to raise awareness. For the wife, mother of four, and Harvey's franchisee, recording an album was never at the top of Elliot's list of things to do. It wasn't until a family member pointed out, during the summer of 2007, that he felt Elliott should be a recording artist. "Before the CD, I would only sing for my family; for the people I love," she remembers. "When he said: 'If you made a CD, I would buy it,' I knew what I wanted to do for Johanne." Elliott then looked into recording studios and found one in Port Colborne called Sorge Studios. The next step was deciding which songs she wanted to record. "I chose emotional songs about life and relationships," she said. "So often, we take for granted the people in our lives, and these songs are about not doing that." Elliott certainly wears her heart on her sleeve, as she pours her soulful voice into songs like 'Landslide,' 'Real Live Woman,' and '20 years and 2 husbands ago.' "I just wanted to convey to my friend how important she is to me," said Elliott, "And I wanted to evoke an emotional response from people who listen to it; I want them to think about someone they care about when they listen to it." The sentiment was sincerely felt when Elliott presented the finished product to Flikkema for Christmas. "I couldn't believe she did this," said Flikkema. "I always thought she was such a beautiful singer. I really could not ask for a better Christmas present." Since the CD's release, nearly 100 copies have been sold, and Elliott is looking to have another set run off to accommodate the growing demand. The cause is also particularly personal to Elliott because her mother, Majella Laliberte, was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2000. "I dont know why, but I just knew she was going to be fine," recalls Elliott whose instincts proved correct: after a lumpectomy and radiation treatments, Laliberte received a clean bill of health. "When I found out about Johanne, I wasnt sure how it was going to turn out." It was this uncertainty that lead the two friends on a trip to Holland in the weeks between Flikkema's mastectomy and the start of chemotherapy. "We decided one day that we wanted to go, and the next day, we were on a plane," said Flikkema. "We just knew that we had to take the time because we didnt know if we have time later." That same impulse drove the friends, and Elliott's mother, to book a trip to the Mayan Riviera this past November. "We were having coffee on Thursday and came up with the idea, and by Sunday, we were on our way to Mexico," Flikkema laughs. "Life is too short not to take the time."

The CD is available for purchase at Flikkema Aviaries on Boyle Road, or at the Harvey's on Geneva Street near the Fairview Mall for a minimum $10 donation. 

Requests for CD's can also be sent to Diane of Cockatiels of Niagara

What Breast Cancer Cannot Do
Cancer is so limited...
It cannot cripple Love
  It cannot shatter Hope
It cannot corrode Faith
It cannot destroy Peace
It cannot kill Friendship
   It cannot suppress Memories
It cannot silence Courage
It cannot invade the Soul
  It cannot steal Eternal Life
  It cannot conquer the Spirit