Why am I shaving my head, and why should you care?
A challenge among friends 25 years ago has become the largest volunteer movement to Conquer Kids’ Cancer. This year, I’m joining thousands of others to shave my head to raise money for childhood cancer research!
Did you know, 1 in 5 kids diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. won’t survive? For those who do, more than 96% have severe or life-threatening conditions by the time they are 50. I refuse to accept this reality, so I’ve decided to fundraise for lifesaving research to find cures and better treatments for kids. Now I need your support! Your donation can fund research to help kids survive and thrive.
my journey as a shavee started all the way back in 2015. if you would have asked me back in 2014 or prior if i was going t0 go bald, i would have told you never in a million years! despite taking care of children who battle this incredibly hard diagnosis, i absolutely loved my long hair, at the time my young nieces called it my "elsa hair". i saw the struggles that these children and their families dealt with on a daily basis. from the inpatient stays that separated families, pulled children from their friends and schools to the struggles of nausea and vomiting to infections that threatened their young lives that were already being threatened.
then the unimaginable happened, my patient kelly gained her angel wings. my mindset changed, i wanted a way to honor kelly, i wanted the world of pediatric cancer to change (i always did but a fire was set off in me). one cold night in january, i made the decision to shave my long blonde hair off. my family and friends were very supportive, some might have been shocked. 2 weeks before the event, i cut 16 inches of hair off to donate to make a wig for a child fighting this horrible reality. with all my family, friends, and coworkers, i braved the shave for the first time in 2015. i was hooked! many other patients all the way have deepened my passion for this cause. luke, noah, evan, maggie, makayla,, mya, brent and Lauren (who are siblings), ryan, lukeaddy, piper, quinn, gianna, the samantha's...there are so many kiddos that i can not even remember all their names.
being bald and spreading the message about childhood cancer became my passion! since 2015, i participated in 2 other st baldrick events, including one with my niece and mom. in 2022, i shaved my head at my wedding reception for my dear friend, ali. ali who was diagnosed with aml and at the time was at nih receiving experimental treatment. there was no a dry eye at the reception, watching me have my head shaved while FaceTiming ali and her mom, michelle. ali also gained her angel wings. i spent all of 2023, bald to spread awareness to childhood cancer and the research that is needed.
while i am no longer caring personally for these children and their families, my heart breaks for them. the struggles they face and the battles won but more times then not lost. how can we say that children are our future, when less than 4% of funding is spent researching pediatric cancers and their treatments. how can we watch as these little ones who have yet to experience any of the wonderful things life has to offer? due to their diagnosis, many of these children are separated from parents, siblings, uncle/aunts/cousins and their friends. in order to provide the funding for the research that is so desperately, i need your support! please support me, support childhood cancer research funding by donating! every little bit helps. these children and their families deserve so much for than 4%. so thank you from the bottom of my heart.
#baldslimer #DFYchildhoodcancer #stbaldricks #morethan4 #onceapedshemeoncnursealwaysapedshemeoncnurse #mypassion #squireofhope #bravetheshave #slimershavesherheadagain #doingitforthekids #alistrong #teammya #teampiper #teamgianna #maggiesfanclub #lukethebeast #noahstribe #kellystrong #cancerpickedthewrongprincessaddy #ramernation #hopeforquinn #evansfight #baldrunner
