Let’s have a real conversation.

My mother had breast cancer.

When she was diagnosed, she didn’t have health insurance. In fact, for most of her life, she didn’t. It wasn’t because she didn’t care about her health. It was because insurance was often simply too expensive and the resources weren’t there.

That was normal for us growing up.

I remember only going to the doctor when I was sick or needed vaccinations. Wellness visits weren’t part of our life. I didn’t even know you were supposed to see a dentist every six months until I got my first real job as an adult and finally had dental insurance. I can probably count on one hand how many times I went to the dentist during my entire childhood.

So when my mom received her cancer diagnosis, we knew navigating treatment without insurance was going to be difficult.

What we did not expect was to feel like the door to care could close because she couldn’t afford to walk through it.

There were treatment options we could not immediately move forward with because she didn’t have coverage and couldn’t pay out of pocket.

And I still struggle with that. It also fueled something in me—a desire to advocate for better access, better education, and a system that puts people back at the center of care.

At what point did we become comfortable living in a system where the ability to pay can determine how quickly someone gets help?

When we felt like we had nowhere else to turn, we started learning.

We researched herbs. We looked at nutrition. We explored topical botanicals and ways to nourish and support the body while we continued fighting through marketplace insurance applications, paperwork, and every obstacle we could to get her covered.

And something unexpected happened.

As we started making changes, both my mom and I began noticing changes in how we felt. Some of the botanical products we were making also helped us care for skin issues we had been dealing with. We became more aware of what we were eating, what we were putting on our bodies, and how disconnected we had become from the idea of simply nourishing ourselves.

Eventually, my mom got insurance and was able to have the surgery she needed to remove the cancer.

Today, she is making her own decisions about what comes next. She has chosen not to pursue radiation at this time and is focusing heavily on nutrition, correcting deficiencies, herbs, and other holistic practices while continuing to navigate her health with her medical team.

That journey changed both of us.

It changed the way I think about healthcare. It changed the way I think about prevention. And it changed the way I think about the role we can play in caring for our own bodies before we ever reach a crisis.

That experience became the beginning of Rosemary & Cedar Botanicals.

Because I believe people deserve more tools, more knowledge, more nourishment, and a stronger connection to what they put in and on their bodies.

For me, this business is about helping people reconnect with that. About bringing plants, nourishment, and community back into the conversation about wellness. About giving resources to people when they feel like they have none. About building a community that f*ckin cares about YOU and not just profits. Let’s take back our futures, and nourish our bodies so we don’t have to keep giving the system.

If this sounds like something that resonates with you, then please subscribe, support, and follow us on social. Let’s build this community together.