WE HAVE DONE IT
I am OVER THE MOON to announce that the full amount of my treatment has been raised!
“Look for the helpers” is a popular expression used during a crisis (like a natural disaster or tragic loss) Because I have been caught up in so many of these already, and could write a book on each, I have been truly blessed to have witnessed humanity at its kindest, finest and most generous. This has been no exception.
Whether you donated $1 or $5000.
If you organized an event,
Bought something from an auction,
Rowed a marathon on an erg
Baked something,
Performed in a show,
Was an audience member in a show,
Took photos of us,
Came to a pole dancing or aerials class,
Entered a raffle,
Donated something from your business,
Stood out on the road with a sign that said “donate now” for a couple of hours,
Cut hair,
Painted faces,
Massaged hands,
Shared my story with friends on social media or in person,
Baked us something,
Sold plants,
Made a meal for us,
GIfted us sessions to help the healing process on top of the drugs,
Babysat our kids,
Drove me to or sat with me through treatment,
Gifted Emma and Hugo something nice for them to do at home,
Asked how we were doing,
Published a news article,
Gave me a safe judgment free space to move,
Gifted me your expertise
Let me be my saddest self around you
… THANK-YOU. Every single person is needed and every single one makes a difference to the outcome of the rest of not only my life, but for the lives of generations to come in my family.
For me personally, knowing I have now done everything in my power to stay here on earth to see my wee ones grow, gives me so much peace and in no way shape or form could have been done without you.
The number one question I am receiving at the moment is “How can we support you now?”...which makes me feel incredibly seen.
1, Keep talking about my story. I am not the only one who has suffered at the hands of our government refusing to fund cancer treatment and the support to go with it. New Zealand is one of the worst countries to find yourself in with a cancer diagnosis when compared to the US, UK and Australia. Our voices and stories matter.
2, Now that the cost of the drug and its administration are covered, we are still in a financially tricky situation. I have made the choice to prioritize my healing and recovery, which means I am not working anywhere near what I used to be. (although…all the fundraising has felt like another business all on its own!)
3,Please please keep the meals coming, they are an absolute godsend, especially on treatment weeks. Not having to cook dinner and still knowing jack, emma and hugo are being well fed has empowered us so much as a wee family.
4, When I began this treatment, I imagined I would have to scramble for $10,000 every 3 weeks so I had made a whole marketing calendar with various events. Classic. There are a few more events coming up which are
Raffle by Emma’s Daycare
The $$$ raised from these will go directly towards covering costs to support my recovery. As amazing as this drug is, I still need to be supporting my body in a more holistic way to ensure I get the rest, nutrition and treatments that are needed to minimise the side effects of the drugs. My goal is to finish the treatment, all the way to the end which is going to take more mental strength, resilience and courage than I initially anticipated.
It is going to be a long year ahead. These past 3 months have already felt like a whole lifetime quite honestly. So your words of encouragement, your prayers and funny memes are the lifeboats I cling onto some days.
So incredibly grateful for you all, in no way could we have done it without you.