Thursday, January 24, 2013

Chantelle...

Guys, cancer is an equal opportunity evil. It does not discriminate based on race, age, marital status, sexual orientation, etc. We have all been touched in some way by cancer and the toll it takes. I think about the people I have known and loved who have battled the beast. My own father lost the battle, and losing him was one of the most painful experiences of my life. I can say though that our family was lucky in a lot of ways. Insurance covered a good portion of the costs, and a dear, family friend, Carol, opened her home to my parents. Mom and Ed stayed with Carol often during his treatment, and that was a blessing because they didn't have to spend money on hotels. Having cancer is expensive. Not everyone has a family friend who happens to live down the road from a world class hospital.

Chantelle. She and I do not know each other. I heard about her story from a friend on Twitter. Amber (my digital friend) is close to Chantelle and has started fundraising to help with the costs. You see, Chantelle lives in Canada, and the type of chemotherapy and treatment she needs isn't available there. She and her husband have come to Texas to get the Cadillac of treatment for Inflammatory Breast Cancer. The catch is that they will have to cover the costs out of pocket.

Please consider helping this mother of three beautiful children. Even a dollar will help. I cannot imagine how much strength it will take for Chantelle and Blair to overcome this, but we can all assist them in this journey.