Hi, this fundraiser is for me, Lynne. Just a year ago, you can see how different my life was in the picture from January 2022. By December, the following two images are what my life has been focusing on. I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma one week before Thanksgiving 2022. I started chemo the following Friday. It all happened so fast from diagnosis to treatment that I hardly had time to understand the words, incurable cancer. Because of the type of cancer that I have, I am immunocompromised and cannot work in a public setting, creating a serious problem for me with no work income. I have worked all my life, never asked for or needed handouts, but now I find myself in this situation. For a little me about me, and my passion for helping other, read on.
I have always worked. I have always worked in a career with a purpose. I spent sixteen years helping working parents raise their children. I have had the good fortune of helping hard-working families, first with my own daycare business, then as a Program Director for afterschool and summer programs at a K – 8 school. Being able to positively affect the lives of the hundreds of families I’ve supported through my programs was an absolute gift.
After ten years, I left the school to pursue a personal safety training business to teach parents and children how to keep themselves safe. We taught awareness, avoidance, escape, and self-defense in an effort to help families stay safer in an ever more crime-ridden society. I also began volunteering to be on the Board of Directors for a non-profit called Crime Stoppers. I volunteered for ten years, starting out as a freshman board member and leaving as the first female elected President of the Board. During the ten years on the board, our efforts brought justice to countless crime victims and their families. I also went to work for two national non-profits that work with teens to teach them to make safe decisions about drugs, alcohol, and their futures. As a Regional Director, I worked programs in six states, to positively impact teens and their decision-making. Working with these teens was another gift that life gave me.
After a career and life dedicated to improving the lives of others, I find myself in need of help. Since my diagnosis, my medical bills are mounting as are my cost of living expenses. If you are inclined to donate, thank you so very much. I give you my word that all funds will be used for cost of living, as well as paying down my mounting medical bills.
Thank you for your consideration. Stay well, and laugh every day!
Lynne