Nina Montée Karp and Joyce Ostin

My friend Joyce Ostin and I created The Path of Wellness & Healing DVD because we are passionate and determined to help women succeed on the path of breast cancer recovery.

Joyce is a 2-time breast cancer survivor and thriver. She got through the very difficult challenge of metastatic cancer because of her own inner strength, the incredible support of her family and friends and because she had access to the very best medical advice. Joyce was fortunate to have as her oncologist Dr. Dennis Slamon, of UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Slamon is the creator of the drug Herceptin – a revolutionary medicine credited with saving over 400,000 lives from breast cancer. In 1998, Joyce was the very first woman in the world to be treated with Herceptin after it was approved for use. In addition to her superb medical treatment, Joyce dedicated herself to a program of total healing, including diet, exercise, mediation, loving relations and play.

Joyce vowed to use her good fortune and renewed health to make available to women around the country, and throughout the world, the highest level of information and advice that she was so lucky enough to receive. And as a close friend to Joyce and several other breast cancer survivors – and a producer/director – I enthusiastically joined forces with her in this great mission.

But, rather than add to the black and white sea of pamphlets, books, and articles available on this topic, we decided the best form of advice would be an intimate DVD that could weave together the voices of America’s greatest doctors and wellness experts and the inspiring stories of women surving this great challenge. We decided to create the first, comprehensive DVD program that would provide those fighting this diease an initial guide, a broad and detailed platform of essential information on every stage of the breast cancer experience to help assit them on the very first steps along their path of healing. And so our journey began.

The Path of Wellness & Healing was truly a grassroots endeavor; we hauled camera equipment, set up interviews, reached out to friends, acquaintances, and professional contacts, and forged our way through two years of this mammoth undertaking. Thanks to the contributors who so generously donated their time and insights, we documented awe-inspiring, first-hand accounts from breast cancer survivors like Sheryl Crow, Christina Applegate, Melissa Etheridge, Olivia Newton-John, and Jaclyn Smith; and powerful lessons from preeminent doctors and wellness experts including Dr. Deepa Chopra, Dr. Marisa Weiss, Dr. Susan Love, Dr. Dean Ornish, Marianne Williamson and many more.

This project was also a lesson in the power of support. Joyce and I were both incredibly blessed with partners who helped us every single step of the way. Without her husband, Michael Ostin, and mine, Dr. Harvey Karp, this dream would never have become a reality.

There’s no denying that creating this 5-hour DVD was a long and arduous path, but like all labors of love, the overwhelmingly positive response we have received – from the medical, wellness, and breast cancer communities – has made every moment of our effort incredibly satisfying and worthwhile. We hope you will share this gift with the women and men you love. It is a gift that will keep giving back as all of the profits from the sales of this educational endeavor will be donated to insitutions like breastcancer.org and the UCLA Jonnson Comprehensive Cancer Center to fund leading research into curing cancer, providing the most up-to-date information available in the world.

Nina Montée Karp
Executive Producer & Director, The Path of Wellness & Healing

Nina Montée Karp links her passion for the environment and children’s and women’s causes with her skill as an accomplished philanthropist. Over the past two decades, she has orchestrated highly successful fundraisers for numerous charitable organizations including The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Healthy Child Healthy World, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Breastcancer.org, and The March of Dimes. Nina is a member of the Board of Directors of Breastcancer.org, The March of Dimes (LA Chapter), CHLA’s Huckleberry Fund and Healthy Child Healthy World.

In addition to being an activist, Nina is also a successful entrepreneur and the director/producer of the award-winning educational DVDs, The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block. Most recently, she wrote, directed, and Executive Produced the DVD “Breast Cancer: The Path of Wellness & Healing,” a landmark guide to the entire breast cancer experience – the first time in medical history that such an in-depth visual educational tool has been available on one DVD set. Her bestselling videos have been featured on programs including Good Morning America, The View, Dr. Phil, and CNN.

Nina’s favorite hobbies include hiking and flying single-engine planes. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Dr. Harvey Karp, and she is the proud mother of their daughter, Lexi.

Joyce Ostin
Executive Producer, The Path of Wellness & Healing

Joyce Ostin is an author, activist and two-time breast cancer survivor. Her experience was a stirring call to action and a climactic turning point that gave way to her mission: To offer the knowledge drawn from her experience to others, helping them nurture their own powerful healing abilities and coping skills on all levels.

As the proud mother of three young daughters, Joyce is dedicated to curing breast cancer at every stage – addressing causes, cures, and the pain and anxiety of every moment in between.

Another aspect of Joyce’s philanthropic work is her photography. She created the bestselling books Hollywood Moms and Hollywood Dads, featuring intimate family moments with celebrities and their families, including Madonna, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Spielberg, Robin Williams, Sheryl Crow, Ashton Kutcher, Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, and many more. Proceeds from both bestselling books benefit the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Joyce and her husband Michael are the proud parents ot daughters Anika, Leila, and Anabele. The family resides in Los Angeles.

Dr. Harvey Karp
Producer & Editor, The Path of Wellness & Healing

Dr. Harvey Karp is a world-renowned child development expert and America’s most-read pediatrician. Creator of the bestselling DVDs and books, The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block, his work has revolutionized our understanding of the needs of young children.

Dr. Karp’s work is taught in hundreds of hospitals, clinics and military bases across the US and has been featured on many shows including Dr. Phil, Larry King Live, The View,and Good Morning America. The New York Times celebrated his career by proclaiming, “Roll over, Dr. Spock!”

Michael Ostin
Producer, The Path of Wellness & Healing

Michael Ostin has over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry and is one of the most respected executives in the world of music today. As Senior Vice President and Head of Artist & Repertoire at Warners Music, he oversaw oversaw the signings and recordings of such artists as Madonna, Paul Simon, Greenday, James Taylor, Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, Prince, Rod Stewart, and many others.

From 1996 to 2003, Mr. Ostin served as the President of DreamWorks Records where he helped to build the company from its inception, serving as Executive producer of the soundtracks for Shrek, Shrek 2 and Shark Tale. He continues to consult DreamWorks on music for both their film and television productions, and was the music supervisor for one of the bestselling video games of all time, Halo 2.