Andrew Leavitt was 15 in 2004 when his mother, Ellen, passed away from breast cancer. Despite their short time together it is clear that Andrew’s mother had a profound and everlasting impression on her son. Throughout high school Andrew was an active volunteer and fundraiser against breast cancer. It was in Ellen’s honor that Andrew created Ellen’s Heart and Soul during his time at University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Ellen’s Heart and Soul is a non-profit organization that seeks to improve the lives of women undergoing treatment for breast cancer in some of the most basic but crucial ways. There are two initiatives that operate under Ellen’s Heart and Soul, Music for The Heart and Soul and Meals for The Heart and Soul.
Before Ellen’s passing in 2004 she wrote about her battle with cancer and about Andrew’s dedication to the fight against cancer; she submitted the letter to Chicken Soup for the Breast Cancer Survivor’s Soul and it was published in 2006. The full letter can be read, as it was published, below.
Ellen's Heart and Soul 