American cancer society, Raise your way campaign🙌🏻

This post was sponsored by the American Cancer Society; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

It was the summer of my 9th birthday. I could sense something wasn’t right, I could see that my parents were struggling with something, but I had no clue what we were facing would forever impact all of our lives…

My parents sat my brother and I down and explained that my mom had cancer on her face. They called it basal cell cancer. I learned that it was first discovered when I was about two years old, removed (but not completely we came to find out), which caused it to metastasize over the next seven years. It presented itself as a scab on my mom’s nose which at times she thought might be a blemish. As it kept returning, she realized something wasn’t right. It was dark in color which she thought was very strange and so she of course went to see her doctor who confirmed that the cancer had not only returned, but it had spread. My parents were told with basal cell cancer that if you don’t get clean margins it spreads rapidly- they say it “grows fingers.” That’s always been vivid visual for me… My mom’s tumor ended up being the size of a golf ball and needed to be removed immediately. She would then spend the next few months recovering in Rochester, Minnesota with my dad at the Mayo Clinic. This was just the beginning…

My mom, aka Tuni, LOVES to tell stories, so this one I’ve heard a million times… I remember it just like yesterday- my dad picked me up from my friend’s house and took me home to see my mom for the first time since their return from all of her surgeries. I remember him trying to comfort me knowing how nervous I was to see her. He told me that mom looked different, but she was still mom. It had been months since I laid my eyes on her, (there was no FaceTime or Skype when I was 9) and the face I was about to see was not at all the face I once knew. Swollen, black and blue, something out of a movie. I remember putting on a brave face as I looked at this woman, this superwoman, my hero. Cancer had attacked my mom in such a brutal way, leaving her with remnants of a face she once knew. Not only was she going thru the most challenging experience of her life, but she was ALSO putting on a brave face for my brother and I, while simultaneously allowing us to feel our emotions and digest the changes we were about to face at 9 and 10 years old. I was too young to think about what my mom was going thru as a woman, mother, wife, and daughter, but I am pretty proud of my 9-year-old self for how she handled this life altering situation. She was incredibly supportive and way too wise beyond her years. I guess she had to be… We all grew from this terrifying and life-changing experience, and I know Tuni would not change a single day of her path. She believes it is her duty to speak up about cancer and educate whomever may want to learn about this brutal disease. She’s always wanted to write a book about her experiences. I wish she would…

About 20 years later my dad and stepmom would sit my fiancé and me down to tell us that he too, had been diagnosed with cancer. Stage four prostate cancer. Just thinking about hearing the news makes me cry to this day. You know when someone tells you something horrible or tragic and in that instant, your life is changed forever? That helpless feeling that completely takes your breath away like you’ve been punched in the gut? Yes, that one… Well, being that I was 29 and not 9 years old, this news impacted me in a completely different way. I knew more about life than that 9-year-old girl. I understood what was at stake and what could be taken away. Ironically, in that moment, I felt 9 years old again. Helpless and so incredibly scared…

It was such a confusing time for me. In one world, Kacy and I were six months away from getting married and it was so exciting, but in another world my dad was undergoing massive cancer treatments and there was nothing I could do to help him. I guess all I could do was stay positive, but honestly, that was so hard for me. At times, my fear simply got the best of me and it was very hard to focus on those exciting moments… My brain was on overdrive- would my dad beat this disease? Would my “someday children” meet their grandfather? Would my dad be able to walk me down the aisle? Would we have our first dance? Worries flooded my mind, some selfish and some realistic. Then I remembered to breathe.

This Superman I get to call dad not only has been in remission for almost 10 years, but he is referred to by his doctors as a medical marvel. A phenomenon. My dad is a worry wart by nature, he and I are both Virgos (worrywarts) but I have to tell you that I have never seen someone tackle each day with such a positive attitude like my dad does. I truly believe that he has fought cancer in such a badass way because of his point of view about living each day to the fullest. And yes, dad, you ARE a badass!

I am so incredibly proud to be the daughter of TWO CANCER SURVIVORS. I am so incredibly proud to have two superheroes as parents. I will forever be grateful to the American Cancer Society and all of the medical advances that come out of endless research and the fight to cure this horrific disease. My heart goes out to each and every one of you who have been touched in some way by cancer. May we come together and fight!

The American Cancer Society, also known as ACS, is a non-profit that is dedicated to eliminating this disease that affects way too many. ACS not only makes it their mission to save lives, but they are dedicated to truly attacking cancer in every way possible through treatments, cancer fundraising and providing worldwide services to all of those affected AND their families. Being that cancer has affected my family directly, I will be the first person to admit that I crawled into a hole and felt like the world was ending upon hearing the news. I didn’t realize at the time that I could have turned my fear into something positive. So when I heard about the American Cancer Society’s fundraising platform Raise Your Way, I knew instantly that I wanted to be involved. With Raise Your Way, you can turn your passion into purpose with a fundraiser and raise money, which started my brainstorming of ideas… I want to host a yoga class, do a bake sale at Lennox’s school, organize a run/hike, a kickboxing class and I’d LOVE for you to be inspired to create your own fundraisers, too. In fact, I hope you walk away from reading this blog post knowing that YOU can help make a difference. What are your passions? When you think about it, the fundraising ideas are endless. We can create something amazing and beneficial for the ACS while doing the activities we already incorporate into our lives. I’m inspired and I’m excited! Thank you for reading this blog post.🙏🏻

Here are the steps to take to create your own RAISE YOUR WAY FUNDRAISER!