46 Mommas

Leslie recounts how her life changed when her son was diagnosed with childhood cancer, and how her shave with the 46 Mommas helped her regain control. Donate on Leslie’s head.

Leslie Jermainne and her son, Brian, after she shaved her head at the 46 Mommas head-shaving event in July.

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Change your look and change the world for kids with cancer. Be a shavee℠.

I have to imagine that my friends and family have been wondering why I would choose to shave my head right before what many consider a milestone birthday, especially in the life of a woman — a time when it feels like we are clinging to that last bit of our youth, a time when many women begin to imagine that their beauty has begun to fade and the world has stopped taking notice of them.

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St. Baldrick’s volunteers show their support for kids with cancer in fun ways! You can, too. Get involved.

Kris and her son Will dressed up as video game characters Wario and Waluigi.

Although not many people asked me outright, I could see the question in their eyes. I’m sure they probably thought I was a video game fanatic.

The truth is, I don’t play video games all that well. But my son does.

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Ambassador Grace’s mom, Rebekah, was on the fence about shaving her head again this year with the 46 Mommas, but something pushed her over.

Rebekah and her daughter, Grace, a childhood cancer survivor.

When the 46 Mommas formed in 2009, I vowed to shave until we passed our $1 million goal. We passed that goal in 2013 at our fourth annual event.

A month after that fourth shave, I gave birth to my third daughter, Esmae.  As a mom of “advanced maternal age,” let me say, sleep deprivation hit harder this time around. Between the dark circles, all-things-postpartum, and — let’s be honest — the challenging hair growth stage, I wasn’t sure I had the energy or confidence for bald again.

And, of course, it matters greatly to me how my family feels about my shaving. Grace graduated to official “survivor” status this past year, so I was paying close attention to her cues. How would she feel about Mom being bald once more?

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Megan is shaving her head in honor of her son, Finn, at the fifth annual 46 Mommas Shave for the Brave this weekend. Join Megan — be a shavee℠!

Finn was diagnosed with brain cancer when he was 5.

You stole precious time away from Finn’s childhood, when he was just starting kindergarten, but he is here to gain it back.

You took half of my sweet Finn’s smile, but not his kind spirit. His smile is so big it shines through.

You kept me from hearing his voice for two months, but he fought to speak again.

You took his ability to walk for over a year, but Finn fought to run as a child should.

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It might be the only bake sale you’ll ever see that’s entirely calorie-free, and it’s helping kids with cancer.

When Annika was 11, she was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma, a very fast-growing cancer in children. She endured surgery followed by radiation and two rounds of intense chemotherapy, which left her extremely tired, nauseous, and in a lot of pain. She celebrated her 12^th birthday in a hospital room.

Annika with her brother on her 12^th birthday while she was in treatment for childhood cancer.

Today, Annika is celebrating five years cancer free.

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Aubrey made headlines for the Mother’s Day cards she designed and is selling to benefit children’s cancer research. Her mom, Vanessa, recalls what Mother’s Day was like last year when Aubrey was beginning treatment for childhood cancer.

Aubrey was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia when she was 2.

It was a day where the only thing I could do was take deep breaths, minute by minute, through all of the sleep deprivation and confusion. I was trying to make sense of what had just happened to our world while focusing on Aubrey’s treatment plan.

We had only been home from the hospital two days and I was trying to hold on to what was normal for our family by working with the Ontario Citizens Bank Arena to get us private box seats for the Disney on Ice show we already had tickets for. With Aubrey’s new diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), we couldn’t afford to expose her to any extra germs that large crowds would undoubtedly bring.

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I was nervous to come home after shaving with the 46 Mommas last summer.

A shavee in the barber chair at the 2013 46 Mommas event.

Let me back up: My daughter, Lucy, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2010. I noticed that she had started to get these little red dots that looked like freckles on her face. I also noticed she was bruising a lot easier. I had an uneasy feeling, but I didn’t think it was cancer. Two days later, the doctor told us that Lucy had leukemia.

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We’re buzzing with excitement here at the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, and it’s not because of a Cyber Monday score. No, it’s much bigger than that: We’ve reached a new million dollar milestone!

Thanks to our hardworking volunteers and selfless supporters, our fundraising total for 2013 has surpassed $34 million — a new record for the Foundation!

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Courtney with her daughter, Georgia, who was diagnosed with childhood cancer in 2009.

I’m not much of a comic book fan, but I know a superhero when I see one. In fact, I have two living in my house: my daughters, Georgia Lee and Ivy Francis.

I’ve always known that they are MegaSmart,  DynaFunny, and UltraKind, but their greatest superpowers were revealed when Georgia was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on December 31, 2009 — the day after her 10^th birthday.

Georgia is poetry in motion. From Day One, she has been an active, engaged participant in her treatment and care. She is confident that she will be cured but knows that she has to fight to get there, and so she proceeds like the thoughtful, quiet warrior that she is.

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