DAYTON, Minnesota — After Ashley Kaliszewski's mother died from metastatic breast cancer in 2023, a friend told her, "Grief is love with no place to go."
Kaliszewski then searched for a path to channel her grief.
Kaliszewski's mother, Teresa VanDanacker of Blaine, died at the age of 61.
"She was diagnosed in her early 50s and she battled cancer for quite a while," Kaliszewski said. "One thing that I learned from my mom is just how to be selfless and fearless when life gives you challenges and obstacles."
Three months after her mother's death, Kaliszewski founded Life Itself Co. — jewelry with a purpose. From her craft room in Dayton, Kaliszewski creates beaded bracelets using everything from 14k gold-plated beads to imitation Austrian crystals.
"My mom and I used to always tell each other, 'I love you more than life itself' and we said it so much that we ended up just abbreviating it to, 'I love you more than,'" Kaliszewski explained.
Life Itself continues that legacy by donating 50% of the profits to cancer research. Specifically, the company donates to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Cancer Research Institute.
"We wanted to find organizations that maximized their funding into cancer research," Kaliszewski said.
In the first four months, Life Itself raised $2,500 for cancer research.
"We definitely celebrated the first sale that we didn't know the person ... we were like, 'Oh, this is awesome,'" Kaliszewski recalled.
While Kaliszewski makes a majority of the bracelets, her family members have also helped her during busy times.
"I think it's awesome," said Ashley's husband, Mike Kaliszewski. "I look at just the unfortunate situation that our family faced and for Ashley to... sorry, this part gets emotional... this is really cool."
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month — a time to promote screening and prevention of the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, about one in eight women will get invasive breast cancer in their lifetime.
Kaliszewski aims to help other families, saying, "Just helping them find hope and comfort in knowing that hopefully some day we can live in a world that's cancer-free."
As the business grows, Kaliszewski said a goal for 2025 is to help fund organizations focused on preventative measures and preventative research, as well as grief services.
You can shop Life Itself bracelets, here.