Cancer Has a Profound Impact on Our Lives…

And One Day can change everything…

As a bit of background, the story actually started back in 1984. But I wouldn’t know the impact it would have on my life until I was much older. My sister Eileen was diagnosed with cancer at a very young age. All my family saw my parents fight alongside my sister Eileen for many years when she was just a teenager. As Eileen fought her disease, my parents broadened their efforts beyond Eileen, to every child, teenager, and person they could help by developing a charity initially focused on my sister and several other children and their parents in a New York Hospital at this time. They worked long days in NYC, worked on the Charity till late hours 7 days a week, all while never leaving Eilleen’s side and still managed to bring up 7 kids in the process. My Mother and Father would not rest until their vision to fight children’s cancer morphed into The Tomorrow’s Children Fund. Eileen and several other amazing fighting children’s legacies were cemented in what would become an amazing charity with tens of millions of dollars raised to fight cancer with the support of celebrities like Don Imus (WFAN), Mark Messier and world-renowned organizations like Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC). And it continues to this day, 35+ years later.

Some 25 years would pass. My dear sister always dreaded in the back of her mind that her battle with cancer might not be over. And indeed, such was the case. This was another big battle that she would again stare straight in the face and defy it. She was a warrior. Unfortunately, in the earlier years of developing medicines and practices like radiation to fight and destroy Cancer, it unfortunately could come at a cost of potentially getting Cancer once again.

This is where The Eileen Fund and her Legacy was created. After this fight Eileen would get it again, this time much more severe. She would end up getting a Nerve Sarcoma at the age of 47. Though she would battle like the warrior she always was and the fighter my father, David and mother Alice would teach her to be, sadly my sister Eileen would lose this battle after an arduous 2-year struggle. Eileen passed away on September 22nd, 2016. Our family was with her the whole time, by her side every minute, every second every day until we all had to say good-bye and let her go. It is without a doubt one of the hardest thing our family has ever had to endure. And This Day would change my life…

Before coming to Imbue Botanicals back in 2016 as the VP and Director of Sales, I had a 20 plus year career built working in Print, Marketing, Pharmaceutical Educational Tools, and Technology that at one point was everything that drove me to be successful and then to provide for my family. However, working long hours comes at a cost even though I was successful and making a great living.

Two Weeks would Pass from her death…I had not gone back to work in NYC just yet and the first Monday was coming and my birthday on September 28th had just passed. Something had changed in every one of us forever especially my mother and father. Eileen had a young son at the time, my nephew Liam and I had three daughters and wife of mine own. I knew I wanted to be with them as much as I could be and hold them a little tighter everyday… as I’m sure Liam’s father wanted as well.

NYC was not the place this was going to happen. With my wife home in New Jersey with the girls and me getting up at 5:30am to leave for NYC and not return most nights until 9:30pm, I realized I was not spending time with them; I was far away, and I didn’t want to let this happen anymore. With reasonable financial stability, I woke up on October 1st, 2016, and told my wife Tiffany, I am quitting my job today. She was surprised and shocked…I explained, and she fully backed and supported my decision. Even without having a job in NJ, I knew there was something more for me and that I could do in this world.

Then on October 4th of 2016, my plans would begin to coalesce …and old friend who I had not spoken to in sometime reached out to me, and said “Hey buddy, you wouldn’t believe what I have been up to. I started a CBD company with two partners and some investors, would you like to help us change the world?” I kid you not, those were the words. Then he quickly said, I have looked you up on Linked In and I would like you to run our sales and marketing with my partners and help build our CBD company, Imbue Botanicals. I was excited, nervous, couldn’t believe this opportunity. It was a chance to help people and I knew already so many benefits CBD had and would soon become more, more researched and developed on the benefits and relief it provided. At this moment, I knew my sister Eileen was there and helping guide my way into a better life for my family and me. I quickly spoke to who would become my partners Tom and Paul on October 6th, 2016, I had my 2 hour long discussion with them. And October 11th, 2016, I would sign my agreement and begin my journey into the great unknown. I soon built a business plan, booked my flight to Palm Springs and the rest, as we say, is history. As we look towards the future of this beautiful brand that we have built which means so much to us, our team, and our customers, we’re confident in the fact that we have the most amazing partners, products, education, quality, testing, transparency, and brand integrity. But the best gift of all, is we help people with their health and wellness!

Chris Jurist – Managing Partner