Hi!
Thank you for coming to this site! If you have not seen the email I sent regarding Kathy and her illness, an almost identical copy of that note is below. Kathy's story and the purpose of this website are contained therein. Also, I would love to answer any questions you may have. After sending the initial email blast, I have already received a few questions. Yay! This site, unfortunately, does not allow for an FAQ tab so I am answering all questions below.
Question: Will Kathy be taking her daughter to Hawaii and/or will she be accompanied by friends?
Answer: Not sure. Kathy and I only spoke briefly about her desire to go to Hawaii and the fact that she'd never been. We never discussed specifics or made any kind of plan - it was more of an 'aside' during a fairly serious conversation. After hanging up, though, I thought I could help facilitate that goal. She did not know about the fund until I sent out the initial email blast. She has the next 6 months to work out details. Once a plan is made, I'll update the site with her itinerary and all that good stuff. And, also pictures after her trip!
Question: Will people be able to see how much I donate?
Answer: No - we only have a Fund Total (no individual amounts are listed).
Question: I donated money but the "Donations-To-Date" total has not changed?
Answer: I must manually enter all data into the "Donations-To-Date" column so there may be a little delay of a day or two.
Please feel free to send me any questions and I will happily answer them!
A little about Kathy and this site...
I have never created a fundraising website but I have contacted many people I know because an awesome chick (who happens to be one of my best friends for the past 19 years) needs a little hope. Kathy is a funny, smart, goofy, 29 year old single mom who has just been diagnosed with cancer. She is scared but she is determined to live through this…and be better for it!
Kathy is an incredibly optimistic person who is going through pain on a daily basis as she gears up for chemotherapy, which begins next week. But, through the physical pain and fear, she is looking to the future and discussing the things she wants to do once this cancer is behind her. Last night, she mentioned that she has never been to Hawaii and that she would love to take a trip there after the chemo is finished (in approximately 6 months). I think it would be a fabulous gift and a symbol of better times if there was a little Hawaii vacation account ready for her so that she can take that trip as soon as she is up to it. Please read a little about her below and, if possible, please give a small gift* towards her Hawaii fund. Even a $5 or $10 contribution will get her closer to her dream vacation. Let’s get her lei’d!
As some of you already know, Kathryn McPeake has been diagnosed with Stage II Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (cancer). That’s the good news and the bad news. The bad news is that Kathy has cancer; the good news is that Hodgkin’s Lymphoma has a statistical survival rate of 90%.
Kathy is a single mother with a 7 year old daughter. Needless to say, this diagnosis has come as a complete shock. A few weeks ago Kathy and I, along with some other friends, took a weekend trip to Tahoe and had a fun, carefree mini-vacation. The following week she went to the Dr.’s office for what she believed was a knot in her upper back muscles. However, she discovered that it was instead a very fast growing tumor that turned out to be Lymphoma. In the course of 2 weeks, she went from chatting about boy-drama to wondering what type of wig she should order.
Everyone who knows Kathy loves her (and thinks she is a ‘little crazy in a good way’)! She is happy and irreverent, honest and loyal, a great friend and an even better mother. All of us who know about her recent diagnosis are stunned and sad. We also feel very helpless. We want to make the process of beating cancer as easy on her as possible but what can we do? When somebody is dealing with their own mortality, any attempt to help seems trivial at best.
The other night I was talking with Kathy about the bone marrow they took from her earlier in the day (this must be done to ensure that the cancer has not spread to her bones). In the midst of discussing the pain of the procedure and the fear she has of the port that was surgically implanted in her chest yesterday, she casually mentioned that she was planning to work through the upcoming 6 months of chemotherapy. Most people do not need to worry about earning money while they’re going through chemo. However, she works for the federal government whose employees do not automatically have access to state disability benefits (like most of us). Her financial situation is going to be so tight for the next 6 months that actually planning a trip is unlikely to happen if it is left up to her.
In addition to contributing to her Hawaii fund on this site, you can send her personalized get-well messages thru Paypal. Donations made via this site are processed through PayPal, however, if you are uncomfortable making a donation via the internet, please contact me to make other arrangements. Every cent contributed (aside from Paypal’s fee) will go to Kathy for her post-chemo-I-can’t-believe-I’m-going-to-Hawaii vacation.
Every donation and encouraging word will make a difference!
Please contact me with any questions/comments/suggestions. I can be reached by phone at 510-517-6950 or by email at Brittany_h_graham@yahoo.com.
Love,
Brittany
*Unfortunately, any contribution to Kathy’s Hawaii fund will be considered a gift and cannot be reported as a tax-deductible donation.
Recent News
7/31/2010: We launched this website for Kathy cuz she rocks!!!
