My Journey to joining the board of the Phoenix Cancer Support Network

I have always been a person who loves to help out and give back when I can.  In fact, I am much better at giving than receiving.  This past year has been very eye opening.  It has been a lesson on how quickly one’s life can change and that nobody is protected. 

 Through my blog, I met a really nice woman this year named Jamie Korn. We instantly connected because we had so much in common as she is also a fitness instructor and is drawn to all of the same health and wellness treatments that I am.  The two of us fell in love with cryotherapy ( a chamber which freezes your body for 3 minutes) and found ourselves showing up at the same time unannounced to be frozen.  (Clearly there was some magical plan for the two of us to connect.)  Jamie’s 6 year old daughter Bridget would be with her at cryotherapy as well trying to heal her broken leg.  Little did Jamie and I know at the time, her broken leg was actually the result of bone cancer.  

Fortunately, Jamie had become connected with St. Jude’s hospital the year before after hosting a cycling fundraiser that raised thousands and thousands of dollars for St. Jude’s.  When Bridget was diagnosed, St. Jude’s welcomed them with open arms.   Currently, Bridget has had her leg amputated and is in the process of finishing 32 weeks of chemotherapy.

Of course, I felt helpless and so confused at how such an innocent, beautiful, young girl with such an amazing, honest, hard working family could ‘“catch” such a horrific disease. It didn’t seem right or fair.  I guess that’s not how this disease works.  

This is the beginning of my mission to helping STOP cancer.

At the time that Bridget was diagnosed, I was in a national contest where  the winner would receive a $50,000 prize.  It dawned on me that I could help Bridget with her medical expenses and more if I could win the contest and give her the money.  I started to use my blogging platform as a space to raise awareness for Bridget’s cancer and awareness about all of the people affected by cancer.  I realized that It doesn’t just make a mess of the person’s life who has the cancer, it actually turns everyone’s lives upside down.  Emotionally, physically, and financially. 

I wound up not winning the contest but at that point I had become so invested, there was no turning back. 

So I suppose that everything happens for a reason because as I was raising awareness about Bridget’s cancer, Jenny Martin a hard working student in my fitness class approached me and told me that she wanted to help Bridget. She proceeded to tell me that she founded the Phoenix Cancer Support Network and that they would love to help Bridget in any way they could.  Once again, there must be a magical reason that Jenny and I connected.  Since that moment, Phoenix Cancer Support Network has raised almost 3 thousand dollars for Bridget’s new bedroom furniture so that she will feel comfortable when she finally comes home.  I am privileged to be on the board of the Phoenix Cancer Support Network.  It helps me to know that I can help make some kind of difference to a family fighting this terrible disease!