dear friends,
i’d like to tell you a story on one very brave woman and then ask for your help. we really need it. i am giving away a $200 shopping spree (to be spent in my etsy shop) to one lucky person who helps…more details below.
as i type this i am thinking about her – about how she is my age, about how she could be my best friend or my sister or any one of us reading this today. i really believe in the interconnectedness of our community. i feel it. i admire it. and i deeply believe in our collective power and hope to change people lives. we did it here on this blog last year when we raised over $5000 to build a house in rwanda for an exceptional family (btw, jen lemen just returned from rwanda where she visited that very house and took photos – more on that soon). and now we have an opportunity to do something really powerful again. i hope you can be a part of it.
meet megan (isn’t she gorgeous with a spirit that radiates?). she is a dear college friend of one of my best friends and she is also a reader of this blog, making her a part of our community. megan is 36 years old. she is deeply loved by her family and friends. she is vibrant. talented. sassy and passionate. earlier this year she was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer with mets to her bone, lungs, liver, and brain. her story is heartbreaking, but to make matters worse, her insurance (blue shield of california, her employer based plan) has denied life saving treatments prescribed by her doctors, including brain radiation and a crucial medication that targets and removes the cancer from her body (referred to as a ‘smart bomb’). having been a medical social worker for many years, i’ve seen this insurance denial scenario played out over and over again in oncology units across our country. it makes my heart sink to think that this happens every single day to countless people in our country. it could easily be me. it could be you.
my heart aches for megan as she fights for her life while taking on the burden of paying for her care. this is where we can help. you and me. megan’s friends and family have set up a chipin fund with a goal to raise $100,000 by august 1st. they’ve been raising money for a couple of months and now we have an opportunity to add to what has already been raised. let’s do it, friends. again, this is about our collective power. i believe that if we all just donate $5 (or more if you can), then we can help one very special woman on the journey of her life. let’s dream big, hope to the moon, and see what we can do.
here’s what you can do:
1. please donate to megan’s chip-in fund (it will direct you to donate via paypal). ANY amt will do. if we all donate $5, $10, $20, we can make a huge impact. i really believe this.
2. after you’ve donated, please come back here and leave a comment. please only leave a comment if you have donated.
3. i am giving one commenter/donator $200 to spend in my etsy shop on whatever they wish!
thank you guys. my heart is incredibly hopeful that we can make a huge difference and release a little bit of financial burden from megan’s shoulders so that she can do what is most important right now: focusing on her treatment, getting well, and spending time with loved ones.
ps – you can read more about megan and her cancer journey on her blog. and more specifics about what her chip-in funds are paying for in regards to specific treatment here. her story has also been featured on president obama’s healthcare stories for america page right here.
thank you, thank you, thank you……….this means the world.
So happy to donate, my own sister is also battling breast cancer. My love to you Megan.
Janey
Blessings to Megan and her family.
Peace.
We're behind you Megan. Kellie, thanks for bringing this to our attention. I hope she gets all of the proper treatment needed.
kelly, thank you for sharing this. my heart goes out to megan and her family.
What an honor to be able to make a difference yet again–and seeing what an amazing difference it made to Odetta, I've no doubt we can do the same for Meagan! Be well Meagan…
Katherine
How can there be any doubt that our health insurance system is broken when situations like this exist? Thank you for the opportunity to help.
Wonderful to use the reach of your blog for a good cause.
Thank you Kelly Rae for the love and light you spread. You set the bar high and act as an excellent example of a single person who is able to effect great change. You have such a graceful and hearty soul. My heart goes out to Megan to whom I wish strength and recovery.
So glad you're doing this. I love when my small donation is added to so many others and creates something wonderful! It could happen to any of us.
A small contribution from me, i pray that God gives you the strength and showers you with His love.
Kelly – I think it's great that you utilize your blog for helping people.
Megan and all of the others going through things like this are in my thoughts and prayers!
I donated. I'm from New Zealand, living in Los Angeles, and it terrifies me that the health insurance I rely on could one day not come through like this. This morning I am going in for a colposcopy and I can't bear to think that the insurance company might bail on me should I need treatment. All the best to Megan. Kia Kaha – Be Strong.
My daughter turns 18 next week and my donation is part of her present. She says it's the best present ever. My mom is a 20+ year survivor of breast cancer against all odds. Bless you and Megan and our prayers are with you both.
for all of us with all of our various "cancers," may we have enough courage to ask for help when we need to it, ask for help for others when we see they need it, and surrender our selfishness when we see it is needed.
so thoughtful kelly. thank you for the opportunity.
I hope my contribution makes a difference. I do believe what you say that many people together can impact a cause like this.
Thank you for organizing this Kelly. I am so happy to help!
I pray the spirit of womanhood will surround Megan and give her strength in her battle.
God bless Megan.
honestly, i don't even care about the shopping spree (although it sounds great and is totally generous!), i just wish i had more to contribute. my mom went through breast cancer and this totally hit way too close to home to not do anything, even a little bit. my email on here is different than my paypal address so you'll see my contribution from a diff email. (:
Wishing Megan and her friends and family many blessings towards healing and courage, thanks for doing this Kelly -community is a beautiful thing. I will donate through your link
Thrilled to help, even a tiny bit, in honor of my friends Liz, Stacey, and Pablo. There is a web, and we're all on it, and together, we can effect change, even if our individual movements are very, very small. To me, this is what sisterhood is all about.
I can only imagine the heartache that family is feeling or the frustration/devastation with the insurance.
This is a wonderful charity and I'm so glad to participate! I hope we can get her well!
sending blessings and healing thoughts ….may love of spirit and family and all who send their thoughts …..be with you to give you peace and love within…..
Happy to help with a donation and prayer. May Megan find comfort from her friends and strength from God!
I am with you Megan. Just finished radiation, before that, chemo. Now I found help through alternative healing…PLEASE look at Bill Henderson's book, "Cancer Free". I know someone who had Stage Four Cancer that has disappeared using Henderson's protocol. If someone will send me Megan's address, I will buy the book and send it to her. This is beautiful…all of this community amongst women. Love and blessings to all.
I am with you Megan. Just finished radiation, before that, chemo. Now I found help through alternative healing…PLEASE look at Bill Henderson's book, "Cancer Free". I know someone who had Stage Four Cancer that has disappeared using Henderson's protocol. If someone will send me Megan's address, I will buy the book and send it to her. This is beautiful…all of this community amongst women. Love and blessings to all.
I am saddened by the fact that life saving treatment was denied. We need to help each other, it could be one of us in the same situation tomorrow. I wish Megan the best and I will keep her in my prayers.
Insurance companies should be ashamed of themselves. We all should be ashamed that medical care is not available to each and every citizen in this country. I left a little something at Megan's Fund. Thanks for letting us know.
God Bless You
You and your family, doctors and caregivers are in my thoughts and prayers. You are surrounded in love.
Thank you for being the caring person you are & doing what you can to help someone who needs it. The world could use more people like you Kelly. Glad to be able to help however I can. My grandmother died of breast cancer when I was a little girl…like you said, it could be any one of us.
Keep fighting Megan….my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Sending blessings and prayers to Megan. Kelly, thank you for making us aware of Megan's needs.
We are all so blessed to be surrounded by such uplifting community. Sending good, healing energy to Megan along with my contribution.
wow, what a wonderful way to help someone in need. my contribution might be small, but i know every little bit helps.
i'm self-employed, so i fully understand health insurance woes. shame on BCBS for setting such devastating policies. i truly hope this fund raising campaign is successful, and wish megan well in her journey.
Kelly, you inspire me often to be better than my normal self. How can I not contribute? I wish a long and healthy life to Megan and I do what I can.
Kelly I have donated to Magen's Cause and have also gone and posted her on my blog… Wishing her love.. Ann
What a beautiful gift to share, I do hope she gets her full $1000.00 strong and fast!
Stay strong Megan. *big hug*
Stay strong Megan. *big hug*
believe in your health, strengh and the love & kindness of strangers…
lovelovelove
My heart and prayers go out to her. Hopefully enough money will be raised for her treatment.
it seems wrong to get a prize for donating to such a lovely girl – you get my prize for the blogger with the biggest heart ever!
What a great idea doing this thru paypal!
I love the community aspect , all little bits add up!
We can help each other… happy to donate!
Cheers , Helen
I cannot tell you how important I think these kinds of things are {not just trying to beat cancer … but coming together as a community to help each other}! Larry and I contributed what we could and I will be sending tons of good and optimistic thoughts Megan's way! Thank you for putting the call out and sharing this with us!
I just learned about Megan and this fund and I was happy to contribute. We all need to help one another.
Hi Kelly! thank you so much for doing this and bringing it to the attention of the art community…prayers will certainly be going up for Megan and her family! Hugs!
Thanks,Kelly for the opportunity to help out. Most of us are SO blessed,& really it's such a small thing to do. I wish Megan the best & I'm praying for her own special miracle! I'm going to pass this on to my circle of friends & family!
I lost my step mom, & dad in the past year to cancer. The week we buried my dad my younger sister was diagnosed with breast cancer and is currently undergoing treatment. After having cared for 2 loved ones suffering from this dreaded disease and watching them die, my hate for this disease is immense. The thought of my sister having to go through that is almost too much to bear. And for an insurance company to deny someone of a chance at life is unforgivable! I could only donate a little but it is something. I just started running myself in hopes of maintaining my health and maybe to one day to be able to run a marathon in my loved ones honor. Bless you for this effort on behalf of everyone whose lives have been touched by this disease. Thank you!