Making a start

This coming week I will finalise the date for the Kapiti Funrazor event.  I am hoping to have it on Saturday 10 December, but will confirm really soon!  And if you are in the Kapiti area I want to see you there on that day!!!! 

Did you know:

More than three children on average per week in New Zealand are diagnosed with cancer. Each year New Zealand children with cancer collectively undergo an astounding 75,000 treatments and procedures throughout their journey. For each one they receive a Bead of Courage… The Child Cancer Foundation is committed to supporting children with cancer and their families from the time of diagnosis, throughout their journey of treatments and subsequently the transition back into the community.

By shaving your lid for a brave kid, you'll be helping to raise the $3 million required each year for child and family support services.

At this stage, this is how you can help:

• Register here to shave your hair in support of brave kids like Bianca.  You will then get an email with instructions on how to register your fundraising page.  
• Sponsor me.  You can sponsor me online using a secure system (click here for my fundraising page).  Now, even if you are in another country, you are still able to sponsor me!  The site is in NZ$, so to work out in your local currency, click here.  Every little bit will make a big difference!
• If you would like to get involved with my event, please email me at Leawhite2109@gmail.com.  Especially if you have some contacts who could help organise some spot prizes or if you are able to offer your time and help with some form of entertainment during the event, maybe you can help take before and after photos of the participants or maybe you are good at helping to set up or shaking a bucket - you know, those sort of things...

Summary of Bianca's journey:

• Diagnosed beginning June 2007 2 weeks before turning 4
• Endured 830 days of treatment
• Collected more than 1,300 Beads of Courage
• 652 days of chemo (IV, sub-cut, injections into the muscle, tablets, spine)
• 142 Finger pricks, port accesses and injections
• 47 Blood Product transfusions (Red Blood, Platelets, IVIG)
• 43 Clinic Visits
• 4 NG Tube insertions
• 4 Times where Bianca lost her hair or it thinned significantly
• 20 Lumbar Punctures
• 73 Different tests such as x-rays, CT Scan, Ultrasound, Echo, nose swabs, etc
• 117 Days spent in hospital. All of these were for various infections
• 112 days where Bianca was isolated, had a fever or was neutropenic
• 1 Surgery to insert a port
• 1 Port insertion
• 16 Dressing changes
• 45 Days of IV Antibiotics (I probably missed some days)
• 4 Bone Marrow aspirates
• 41 Unusual things happened during treatment such as being on oxygen
• Bianca developed a severe allergic reaction to one of her chemo injections
• Bianca had a severe bronchospasm requiring immediate assistance
• Bianca had kidney stones
• Bianca had shingles 3 times
• Bianca was diagnosed with panhypogammaglobulinaemia

Please support brave kids like Bianca.  Every little bit will make a big difference.  Help me reach my goal!