My Letter to the Editor got Published!

So for a school assignment I was required to write a letter to the editor and send it in. I really didn't think anything would come of it, but the National Post actually published it online! I've never been professionally published like this before, so this is very exciting. It's also about an issue (breast cancer) that's very important to my family and friends, and I've received a lot of support from them on this, which is really the best thing ever. I couldn't ask for more.

The original article I was responding to was featured online, and it was about a woman who had suffered from depression following a double mastectomy. A lot of it came from body image issues and some ill-treatment from society following her operation. That combined with some of the breast cancer campaigns I'd seen around my school and at home, and in the past working with my mom in campaigns myself, inspired me to write this.

You can read the original article I was responding to here.
You can read my featured letter here.

But in case that link expires, here's my letter. It's been edited by Paul Russel, the Comment editor at the National Post. Since this is a letter to the editor, it's got a lot of opinions in it. As always, I am open to discussion in the comments section!

Reading Thandi Fletcher’s heartbreaking article about the psychological effects of mastectomies got me thinking about the way breast cancer treatment is viewed in Canada, and especially about the way it’s supported. Having worked at breast cancer support charities myself, I’ve seen quite a variety of ways charities are handled. And while I’m sure every single one of these charities, fundraisers and events has good intentions, there’s a very dangerous problem with putting all the focus on a woman’s breasts, and their value.
I’ve seen far too many of these fundraisers advertised with phrases like, “Save the boobs” or “Support for boobies!” etc. The problem with that is, we’re not trying to save the boobs — we’re trying to save a woman. Mastectomies are a reality some women undergoing breast cancer treatment have to face, and when we put the emphasis on her breasts rather than on her character, we contribute to the poisonous society that sees a woman’s body as something belonging to society rather than to her, and to the psychological scars women face. Women who bear the scars of breast cancer should feel triumphant about beating a disease and living another day, instead of ashamed of the battles they’ve faced.
Leah Powell, Ottawa

So, I want to extend a big thank you to everyone who read it, and everyone who's supported me. But more importantly I want to extend an even bigger thank you to all the women among my family and friends who inspired me to write it. They are the some of the strongest women I know.

And I just handed it in a little while ago, so I hope I get good marks on this assignment!