This is a big deal to me!

I will just write down a bit of the story first...

One of my best friends, Hayley, was due to have her first baby around the same time that I was due to have Ollie. We were so excited about having the babies together and how it would be awesome to hang out all the time while we were at home, etc etc. and we shared our pregnancies pretty closely with each other. Hayley and her DH are the Godparents for our two babies as well, Chloe and Oliver.

Anyway, it turns out that Hayley needed to get an elective c-section, for various reasons, and they took some blood to check clotting factors and things before she had the op. As she was being prepped for her c-section and going into surgery, she was informed that her BT results came back abnormal, and that she could have leukaemia. Her and her husband laughed it off.

Not long after her c-section she had to undergo a bone marrow biopsy, which confirmed that she has Acute Lymphatic Leukaemia with a very rapid onset, and she was told that she has about a 40% chance of survival if she undergoes very intense chemo for at least 2 years.

So my friend is currently very unwell, she has a new baby which she has been unable to spend a lot of time with (her mum is mostly looking after her son and she feels that she's missed out on a lot), she has not long been married but barely gets to spend a night at home with her husband, not too long ago she got meningitis from the chemo drugs and was very lucky to survive that, she has lost her hair... etc etc. I know that anyone who knows what it's like to go through chemo will understand what a tough time she is having.

I feel totally out of control of the situation, and wish that there was SOMETHING that I could do to help her. Meals and stuff like that seem kind of pathetic when you see what she is dealing with, even though I know it helps. And as a new Mummy, I totally feel for her to be dealing with this illness at the same time as having a new baby!

ANYWAY that's what motivated me to contact the Leukaemia and Blood Foundation... and now I am fundraising/getting sponsors and I'm going to shave my head in the Meridian Mall on the 9th Sept '09 (09/09/09). I've also organised other people to join me - so far there are seven of us doing the shave. This is to raise money that is hugely needed to support people with Leukaemia or blood cancers, and also to raise awareness for the Bone Marrow Donor Registry, which badly needs non-European donors (anyone part-Maori, polynesian, chinese, etc etc.)

A HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE thank you to the lovely Mummies that have already sponsored me - you guys are amazing friends and I love your support! I'm overwhelmed.

If anyone else wants to sponsor me and make a donation to the LBF, or just find out a bit more, please go to the link below.

Head shave link

Thanks!

Thanks Kaiz! I don't feel brave at all, I feel like her loosing her hair was the smallest of her problems, so she is definitely the brave one.

Sorry if I'm not making sense, I'm so tired

Thanks again!!

you go you!!!!   i did the shave a year or so back...its great....

What a great thing to do, I am more than happy to donate & support this cause!

Thank you so much for the generous donations, and the messages of support! I really feel blown away. It amazes me how everyone comes together during times like these and I/we/she really need the support right now, so it is truly appreciated.