Fundraising

Today I sent out a big email to friends and family...and I'm hoping that some others will come here and see it, and consider making a donation to the Breast Cancer 3-Day.

-------------------
Friends and family,

It is no secret to any of you that I am walking the Breast Cancer 3-Day in a couple of weeks - I've been talking about it nonstop for some time now, getting ready emotionally and physically for the big event. Everything is almost in order: I have become physically able to walk that far (my first 20 mile walk was a resounding success), I have my lymphedema sleeve to war while walking so that my arm won't balloon up during the walk (yes, this is a treatment side effect), I have my amazing team of nine friends walking at my side, and, most importantly, together my team has raised $23,167.25 according to our team webpage
Team Kristina Page .
This is an amazing accomplishment, and one that we are all very, very proud of. The money goes primarily to research (through the Susan G. Komen and the National Philanthropic Trust), every dollar brings us one step closer to finding a cure. We aren't done yet, though, and hope to bring that number even higher.

Some things have changed since our team first decided to walk. The most depressing change is that the statistic "1 in 8 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime" is no longer true: now it's 1 in 7. Think of the women you know, and mull that over. Who will it be? Worst of all, I think of the children that I know. How many of them will it be? It's unbearable.

I have been sliced (five surgeries so far, five more to go), poisoned (16 chemo treatments), and burned (33 radiation treatments, resulting in third degree burns) in an effort to rid my body of this disease... but I am not asking you to donate for me. I'm asking you to donate because I absolutely can not BEAR the idea of these treatments applied to Tessa, or to any of our children. I am asking you to donate so that we can find a cure in our children's lifetime. I'm certain that it's possible, but it's going to take money to fund the research that will change things for the better. I have come through this treatment year a warrior woman, stronger than I ever guessed possible and supported by world class amazing doctors, and yet I still live in fear of recurrance and mets, and in fear of the women I care about being diagnosed. I have already had one knock at the door: my neighbor, who is my age and has a three year old, was diagnosed a couple of weeks ago, and she has stage IV breast cancer (in her liver and bones). Her pain is my pain, and it must be stopped.

The only thing I know how to do to make myself feel better is to fundraise to find a cure. We HAVE to find a cure. In the words of one of my survivor friends on the web, we must Kill the Beast.

This is the last email that I will send asking for your money for this event. I am truly grateful for any donation, small or large, as they all add up and DO make a difference.

You may donate by going to the website below:
Donate to Kristina's Breast Cancer 3-Day Efforts
and either donating online or printing a form to send in with a check.

Thank you for reading this, and for your donation.
Kristina