This post is for my friend, Summer Sanford. We have known each other almost 20 years. for most of those years, we have laughed together. That is, until October 2015. Now, we spend time crying. And a little more time “being strong”. We contemplate more. We ask “life” questions. We hope– a lot of hope. We pray. We look for answers and seek solutions. It has been a journey and not one that I wish for anyone. It is the crappy cancer one.
Her mom was diagnosed with Leukemia on October 1st of 2015. HER MOM. The mom that forever makes us laugh, has a mouth like a sailor, a heart of gold and a ferocity in her that lights up a small town! She fights for what is right, loves with her full heart and is not the person to mess with on a bad day. That mom.
She is an avid tennis player. And tennis is what gave her the clue that something was amiss. She was too weak to pick up the ball…. and that is how her cancer story started. It has been months of chemo and pokes and pricks. Trips to the emergency room. More unknowns than knowns. Months of maddening un-answers and saddening truths.
Through it all has been hope, love, laughter. Bonds that have grown and ties that have healed. Nothing is being left unsaid. And my friend, Summer, an only child and the absolute light in her mother’s eyes, has been instrumental in keeping spirits up. She has plastered the walls with funny sayings, hopeful messages, beautiful pictures and more. She has delivered special gifts and beautiful things for her mother’s eyes to gaze upon. She has put up Happiness Walls to encourage others and the nurses. So much good has happened.
But still, Cancer Sucks. The war has not been won (yet). They are still battling one day at a time. But, what I do know is they are doing it with grace and love and hope.
I love my friend very much. I love her mom and family. And, there are no words– just that cancer super-sucks!
Below is my friend’s story. I hope you find it in your heart to read and help. The thing is– we can kick cancers butt! But it is going to take an effort from us in all kinds of ways. Whether you walk, donate, gala or contribute— ALL of it counts and it all will help someone, in some way in some time.
We will FIGHT to the end. We will fight for those that have already gone and we will fight to give hope to others!
Dear Friend, As some of you may know, on October 1, 2015, my Mother was diagnosed with leukemia. At that very moment, my world turned upside down. As her daughter, watching her cancer journey has been hard. Nothing has been easy for her, from blood clots, to losing her hair, to the nausea and fevers associated with chemotherapy, to feeling like a human pin cushion every time she checks into the hospital, to the anxiety that creeps in while you are wondering if you can keep going and if the next thing is going to kill you. It’s truly one of the hardest things you can watch a loved one go through. The truth is, while we have made advancements to cure blood diseases; we need more help! I have been nominated to be a Candidate for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Woman of the Year Campaign. This is a National Competition, and every dollar raised is a vote in my favor. My personal fundraising goal is $50,000, in order to name a research grant in honor of my Mom, as well as, the countless other victims of leukemia and lymphoma. I’m asking you to help by making a tax-deductible contribution towards my campaign. Together, we can find a cure and more compassionate treatment therapies with fewer side effects; but to overall create an environment of support for the families who suffer watching their loved ones on this journey. With your generous support, you can help me reach and surpass my goal and together we can raise funds for research, awareness and advocacy. Through donors and supporters like you, new hope in finding a cure for blood cancers has never been greater.
–Summer Sanford
Texas Moose House 