Our Founder:
Christine Joy Tulloch
Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.
– C.S. Lewis
It’s amazing how beautiful stories can often start with ugly beginnings. In May of 2007, Christine’s cancer journey began with a diagnosis of leukemia at the age of 19. In complete shock and disbelief, her and the rest of the Tulloch family began to travel down a path that they never anticipated having to walk. In an instant, life had become forever divided into before and after Christine’s cancer diagnosis. Although a young adult, it was decided that Christine would be treated at BC Children’s Hospital for a more aggressive treatment regimen. She soon discovered the many challenges of navigating this illness, especially when it came to connecting with her peers.
“I found it challenging to relate to my friends as we just didn’t have the same life experiences, and at that point in time, it was also that we had different concerns in life… I quickly learned that there was little to no services available for cancer patients in B.C., which is shocking with the amount of fundraising that happens. I felt this urge to fill that void…”
A Dream is Born
Then a remarkable event took place. That urge and void in Christine’s heart turned into an incredible dream. A dream to create a community for young women like herself to overcome their life’s adversity together. In her pain Christine had discovered a passion and purpose that she would dedicate the rest of her life to. With the help of some amazing people from the Arbonne Charitable Foundation, the Cancer Warrior Princess Glamour Night was created in 2013.
It’s hard to describe the impact this event has on these girls and their families. For many of these girls, this will be a pivotal event that occurs on their cancer journey and be just what they need to help them keep going. The event gives me the opportunity to connect with these girls at their most vulnerable time and it allows me to break through any negative thoughts that they have of themselves. Getting the chance to pour love on them when they feel unworthy of it has been one of the greatest things I have ever been able to do. I spend the Glamour Night evening reaffirming truths of worthiness in them and showering them in love. Not one girl leaves without knowing that she is fully and completely loved. It really is such an honour.”
As Glamour Night grew, Christine had the opportunity to meet and form friendships with the amazing young women who attended each year, as well as their families and the growing number of volunteers and sponsors who helped make the event a success. She had found her kindred spirits.
Choosing Joy
Much to everyone’s heartbreak, Christine relapsed with leukemia in May of 2016. Regardless, she was fiercely determined to keep Glamour Night going, and in the summer of 2017, founded the She Defines Strength Foundation. Her dream had grown bigger.
“I officially made this event a non-profit foundation with the hope of growing the event from just one event per year to many more, with the mission to connect and empower these incredible women as they overcome adversity…”
The Gift of A Legacy
Approximately one month after hosting her seventh Glamour Night in 2019, Christine passed away in Peace Arch Hospital after navigating her second relapse with leukemia for several months. While the inescapable grief and deep sense of loss around her absence will always be felt, the She Defines Strength Team is incredibly grateful and honoured to carry out her legacy. Together, with the help of our wonderful community of supporters, we are helping women like Christine find the beauty within their stories and in themselves. Together, we are redefining strength. Together, we are fighting to choose joy. And together, we are making Christine’s dream a reality.
God is still so good and every day He gives me new reasons to be so incredibly grateful for this life that I have.
A few days before her passing, Christine insisted on praying with her family in the hospital emergency room. Her prayer was not one of desperation or fear but of gratitude and thanksgiving. She thanked the Lord for her life and the people in it. In celebrating her life, the She Defines Strength team does the same. We will forever be grateful for the gift of knowing this beautiful human being, and are beyond thankful for the amazing people she continues to bring into our lives through the legacy she has left us. Thank you Christine for showing us what it means to choose joy.
If you are interested in learning more about Christine, we invite you to watch her celebration of life:
A True Cancer Warrior
Christine fought to choose joy throughout her cancer journey, a fight that was seldom easy. This is one of the reasons she embraced the term cancer warrior princess. Her life, like so many others touched by this disease, held numerous challenges. Each day she had to make an intentional choice not to let cancer rob her of her joy. One example of this was when she had to shave her head again during her first relapse. Watch the video below or click through the carousel to see how she turned a very difficult moment into a precious memory.
1987 – 2019