The Karen Weir Love & Care Benefit
Donation protected
Karen (22) was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a very rare yet very treatable disease.
“What the heck does that mean?” Here’s a quick breakdown!
Lymphoma is simply a collection of white blood cells called lymphocytes. They can be present essentially anywhere in the body. Either the white blood cells aren’t dying like they should, or something is wrong with the way they are replicating and there are simply too many. In other words, Karen is exceptional and has sooooo many white blood cells! Stop being so exceptional, Karen!
Lymphoma can be classified as either Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (HL) or Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) and Karen has the first of the two. The distinction comes from the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells and T-cell function failure.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, you’re losing me with all this science talk…” Sorry about that! Here’s what you can take away from all this: Karen has Cancer.
“What does cancer look like?” Cancer looks different for everyone and no two cases are the same. You can’t look at Karen and tell she has cancer—but that could change. She is receiving chemotherapy – so there’s a chance she could lose her hair. She may lose weight and she may begin to look frail. Then again, she might not.
“What happens now?” Well, several things happen. Karen will likely experience a range of emotions and mixed feelings. She will need to attend several medical appointments with several different doctors. She may need to put any/all her other life plans on hold for the time being – including work, friendships, and family. Eradicating Lymphoma is currently priority #1.
“How can I help?” This campaign gives you the opportunity to contribute to the financial burden that Karen will carry. Let’s ignore the actual cost of medical care – albeit an enormous portion of the overall cost, there are so many other cancer-related costs that Karen will incur that may not be top of mind. Consider things like travel expenses and needing to take time off work. One requires money and the other requires her to make less of it. She will need to adjust her diet, purchase head accessories, and still maintain her home. The expenses will soon be overwhelming. The contribution you make will go toward these climbing costs. Know that whatever you choose to give is going toward a great cause and it’s greatly appreciated.
“Sorry you guys, but - I don’t have any money – what else can I do?” There are so many other ways to help!
Spread awareness! The official color of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is Lilac – or light purple. Wear it! Share it! Educate yourself and others so Karen will have a large community of people with whom she can discuss her struggles.
Ask questions! In the coming months – there will be many times Karen will feel isolated and alone – because how many of us are also undergoing chemotherapy and all that being a cancer patient entails? Don’t forget to talk to her. Ask her how she feels, what she’s doing, what her appointment schedule looks like this week.
At the end of the day, she is still the Karen we all know and love. So love her – and don’t let her forget it.
Thanks for following along with Karen’s Journey! It’s time to fight like a girl,…and win!
“What the heck does that mean?” Here’s a quick breakdown!
Lymphoma is simply a collection of white blood cells called lymphocytes. They can be present essentially anywhere in the body. Either the white blood cells aren’t dying like they should, or something is wrong with the way they are replicating and there are simply too many. In other words, Karen is exceptional and has sooooo many white blood cells! Stop being so exceptional, Karen!
Lymphoma can be classified as either Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (HL) or Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) and Karen has the first of the two. The distinction comes from the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells and T-cell function failure.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, you’re losing me with all this science talk…” Sorry about that! Here’s what you can take away from all this: Karen has Cancer.
“What does cancer look like?” Cancer looks different for everyone and no two cases are the same. You can’t look at Karen and tell she has cancer—but that could change. She is receiving chemotherapy – so there’s a chance she could lose her hair. She may lose weight and she may begin to look frail. Then again, she might not.
“What happens now?” Well, several things happen. Karen will likely experience a range of emotions and mixed feelings. She will need to attend several medical appointments with several different doctors. She may need to put any/all her other life plans on hold for the time being – including work, friendships, and family. Eradicating Lymphoma is currently priority #1.
“How can I help?” This campaign gives you the opportunity to contribute to the financial burden that Karen will carry. Let’s ignore the actual cost of medical care – albeit an enormous portion of the overall cost, there are so many other cancer-related costs that Karen will incur that may not be top of mind. Consider things like travel expenses and needing to take time off work. One requires money and the other requires her to make less of it. She will need to adjust her diet, purchase head accessories, and still maintain her home. The expenses will soon be overwhelming. The contribution you make will go toward these climbing costs. Know that whatever you choose to give is going toward a great cause and it’s greatly appreciated.
“Sorry you guys, but - I don’t have any money – what else can I do?” There are so many other ways to help!
Spread awareness! The official color of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is Lilac – or light purple. Wear it! Share it! Educate yourself and others so Karen will have a large community of people with whom she can discuss her struggles.
Ask questions! In the coming months – there will be many times Karen will feel isolated and alone – because how many of us are also undergoing chemotherapy and all that being a cancer patient entails? Don’t forget to talk to her. Ask her how she feels, what she’s doing, what her appointment schedule looks like this week.
At the end of the day, she is still the Karen we all know and love. So love her – and don’t let her forget it.
Thanks for following along with Karen’s Journey! It’s time to fight like a girl,…and win!
Organizer
Karen Weir
Organizer
North Port, FL