Lifetime Movie “Five”: How It Impacted Me As a Mom

Guest post by Melissa Hurst, savingcentswithsense.net

Becoming a mother changes who you are, how you see life, and helps to shape your priorities. And yet, four months after giving birth to my first girl, I realize that having a daughter changes it all over again. I see all the potential for her to become a strong woman, one who takes many roles in life: daughter, sister, friend, comforter, professional, wife, mother, and many more. It has also made me acutely aware of some of the major life issues we, as women, face, like breast cancer.

Helping to bring this very-real topic to light, Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore, Alicia Keys, Penelope Spheeris and Patty Jenkins directed a new Lifetime original movie, “Five”, which premieres Monday, October 10. "Five" is a powerful collection of five short films exploring the impact of breast cancer on people’s lives. As a woman, the films hit home for me, but as a mother they had a profound impact, especially the opening film titled Charlotte.

Charlotte introduces a young Pearl, a spirited girl who tries to understand and grasp the secret news that her mother is dying of breast cancer. The rest of the films in “Five”, follow Pearl as an adult and through her career as an oncologist helping others afflicted with the disease at different stages. Watching the film, I could feel the passion this woman had for wanting to help others after the loss she endured.  And I felt the pain that her mother must have felt, knowing she was leaving her daughter.

I don’t want to give too much away, but I was shocked to see stories of young women battling breast cancer, and even the story of a male patient that has the same diagnosis.  Shocking even still, is the fact that 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer. With that statistic, the truth is that we are all impacted by this disease, either directly or indirectly. Women and men must deal with this serious disease as it rears its ugly head in so many lives.

This well-directed, and all-star cast film, captures several glimpses of the tears, laughter, helplessness, and ultimately, hope, that breast cancer patients face. Premiering Monday, October 10 at 9pm/8c, I recommend that you plan to watch (with a box of tissues!) and be inspired by the courage found in these breast cancer patients.

I look forward to my daughter growing older, and one day being able to watch movies like this together to encourage the healthy discussion of breast cancer, how it impacts us, ways to prevent it, and hopefully, someday, the cure.

Read Lifetime Mom Beth's review of "Five" and red-carpet premiere stories>>

**Lifetime Moms is partnering with the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation and their Army of Women initiative to help accomplish their goal of eradicating breast cancer. Join the Army today and become part of an online database to receive research updates and volunteer opportunities. It's simple and free. Lifetime will donate $1 for every recruit referred by Lifetime Moms. Learn more >>