The Clara Jean Foundation (CJF) was established in the fall of 2001.  The foundation was named in honor of Clara Jean Laible, who battled breast cancer for nearly four years and lost her fight at the age of 49.  The foundation was created by her children to celebrate their mother's life. They have been inspired by her journey to educate and support women and men about the benefits of integrated healthcare to fight breast cancer.

Clara Jean Laible was born and raised in southern Oregon. She was the third daughter of Bert and Mildred Davis. Clara had four sisters and three brothers. She met her husband, John William Laible, in high school and moved to the Portland area after they married. They began a family and eventually settled in Vancouver, Washington. Clara became the mother of six children.

Clara was a selfless woman who gave her time and talents to those around her. She was a gifted seamstress and was able to work from home and help raise her children. She often volunteered to make costumes for local youth dance festivals and other events. She made countless quilts for those in need, and coordinated many projects for humanitarian aid.

Clara will always be remembered and loved by those who had the privilege of knowing her.

Clara was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999. She had a lumpectomy, mastectomy, lymph node removal, chemotherapy and radiation, followed by hair loss. She finished treatment in February 2000 and was cancer free. Clara was resilient. She resumed her daily activities, which included sewing and craft projects. She was involved in a research study for breast cancer survivors, WHEL (Women's Healthy Eating and Living) and she actively participated in church and charity events. She enjoyed walking in The Race for the Cure with her family, and proudly wore her pink hat.

Early August 2001 Clara had a routine scan. Soon after she found out that the cancer had metastasized and spread to her liver; she was given six months to live. Clara decided to pursue natural methods of treatment to complement the chemotherapy. She worked with a naturopathic physician twice a week, implementing therapies he recommended into her daily life. After finishing chemo there was a small change in the size of her tumors, and Clara decided to focus on natural therapies. Upon her next scan, the larger tumor had decreased by 25%. She seemed to be improving.

However by mid February 2002 her health drastically declined. She was weak and in pain, her oncologist informed Clara and John that her condition was deteriorating rapidly. After a few nights in the hospital, they decided to move her home under hospice care for the remaining time she had. Family was called immediately. Her children, family, and friends came in from around the country. Her eighth grandchild was born two months before and she was able to hold him.

Clara lost her battle with breast cancer on March 8, 2002.  She quietly slipped away in the presence of her husband and children.

 “Our first walk came just after mom passed away.  We organized as fast as we could, pulling from another walking organization. It was held on March 30, 2002, on what would have been our mom’s 50^th birthday. It was mostly family and friends, but that’s all it needed to be. Over the next 2 years the walk grew as we continued to work with a local walking club. We started to realize that information was the biggest hurdle for most women diagnosed with breast cancer and we started to turn our focus from funding, to education.” –Sue Burton

Currently the Clara Jean Foundation (CJF) is working to build a comprehensive website that will educate, support and empower those dealing with breast cancer, enabling those affected to find information for treatment outside conventional medicine.