Every year a group of my coworkers participate in the St. Baldrick’s event in Austin. Since I’ve known this group of people, two of their kids have lost their battle with cancer. Last year, they asked me to participate as a “shavee” and, just like every year, I hemmed and hawed, and waited too long and didn’t do it.
On the same day they were all getting their heads shaved, my dear friends lost their son to a rare form of brain cancer. He was the same age as my girls. They were babies together. We swapped childcare. I watched him grow into a fine young man. And then he was gone. I felt so helpless. I didn’t know what to say or how to act. I worried that bringing my girls around would just be too painful. I still feel I haven’t been part of the support group they’ve needed over the past year and for that, I’m sorry.
But, moving forward, I’ve decided to take part in the St. Baldrick’s event this year. Did you know that kids' cancers are different from adult cancers? It's true. And childhood cancer research is extremely underfunded. So I decided to do something about it by raising money for cures.
Now I need your help! Will you make a donation? Every dollar makes a difference for the thousands of infants, children, teens, and young adults fighting childhood cancers.