Tutu Bad for Cancer

My dear friends and family,

My apologies to anyone who has already received an email about this. I am sure I don't have the email addresses for everyone who checks in on this blog, so here goes.....

I am here again to ask for a hand up and a hand out. My wonderful friend, Stacy Louise has organized a Team Backus for the 2009 American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. It will be held here in Lawrence on June 12 starting at 7pm and ending June 13 at 7am.

The teams are usually comprised of 20-24 people who agree to raise $100 each for the American Cancer Society’s research to cure cancer. And then they have to have a team member on the walking course (here in Lawrence at SWJHS’s track) for that twelve hour period of time.

I have always received great support financially and more importantly emotionally from so many people in my community here in Lawrence, in St. Louis and beyond. I hope you can find it in your hearts to help again by sending in a small donation. Imagine if only 20 of you sent $5.00 how easily $100 could add up.

Our team quickly morphed from Team Backus to ‘Tutu Bad for Cancer.’ Because we are a bunch of 'last minute lucys' we are still assembling our tutus and I can’t share a picture with you (until after the event) you will have to use your imagination to see the 20 odd grown men and women (and some teenagers!) who have agreed to wear a tutu while walking around a track for an hour because number one, they can and number two, I think they love me a lot! I love them a lot too and am still humbled by their love and steadfastness.

My story is as familiar as any other cancer patient and so I will only say that I know that one of the reasons I am still alive today is because of the brave women who came before me and tried one or another of the cancer drugs researchers found to fight ovarian cancer. Much of this research is done with the support of the American Cancer Society. Ovarian cancer has not yet the cache of breast cancer (or the great marketing and branding) and we patients rely on people like you to help in ways like this to find a cure.

Please send your checks, money orders, (made out to Relay for Life) anything you can to me, earmarked for the Relay for Life event and I will pass it all on to the American Cancer Society. (email me separately for address!) It’s a good thing to do, it’ll make you feel better, and it will put a smile on my face. Those smiles are medically proven to help me survive. (I don’t know if that is true, but it sounds good and I am going to make it work for me.)

Thanks for taking the time to read this, you might help save someone’s life or at least give them hope for one more day and in the end that’s all we really can count on, isn’t it?

By the way, I’m doing well, still recovering and getting stronger. I’ve had minor setbacks, but nothing to really hold me back. My current treatment plan is the best so far and I am responding well. I have great hope for our future.

Many hugs and much love,
Maggie