RELATED: Photos from the American Cancer Society Mother of the Year Luncheon

The china is set, the little jam pots in place, and the silver tea pots shined to a bright polish: Afternoon tea at the Plaza Hotel's Palm Court is about to return as one of New York's most beloved institutions, and will not only be as good as before, but better, a hotel staffer assured me. The Fairmont chain of hotels, which manages the Plaza, has even flown in a tea expert from its location in Victoria, British Columbia, world-famous for its tea service, to ensure quality. Reservations can be made starting next week at 212-546-5300.

But seeing the Palm Court in its restored glory — the plush chairs, the stained-glass laylight, and the dozens of palm trees — was just one treat of my visit yesterday to the hotel, which officially reopens Friday.

The more profound discovery was the amazing attitude and generosity of breast cancer survivor Cynthia Lufkin, who was toasted at the American Cancer Society's Mother of the Year luncheon yesterday in the hotel's Grand Ballroom.

"She's not just Mother of the Year, she's Mother of the Century," her husband, Dan Lufkin, said.

Six months into Mrs. Lufkin's pregnancy with her second child, she learned she had breast cancer. In order to save herself and protect her future daughter, she gave birth at 33 weeks, and within days had major surgery to remove her cancer. As Mrs. Lufkin recovered from her surgery, her newborn, Aster-Lee, was in the intensive care unit on 100% oxygen. "It was the toughest time in my life," Mrs. Lufkin said, "an intense crisis." But both came through, and are doing well, as was evident at the podium when Aster-Lee, two-and-a-half years old, and her sister, Schuyler, 10 years old, joined their mom at the podium.

How did she live through this? With "extraordinary good spirits," Mr. Lufkin, said. "There was never a word of 'Why me?' It was always 'How about you?'"

Mrs. Lufkin's philanthropy is focused on helping other breast cancer survivors. One of her projects is developing a fitness program through Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to help women stay in shape as they go through debilitating cancer treatments.

"She's never needed an attitude adjustment. She's always been beautiful and wonderful," Mrs. Lufkin's mother, Joyce Ford, said.

agordon@nysun.com