**If you missed part I you can click here to catch up.**
This is Christina today.
She has trained hard to lose the weight she gained thanks to a combination of chemo and large doses of Prednisone. She works out daily and is often found running the streets near her home in Upperco, Maryland.
On June 5, 2011 Christina, with her husband Steve by her side, will compete in the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
But before that can happen Christina and Steve both have to raise the required minimum donation amount.
They must raise a combined total of $5,300.00 (or $2,650.00 each) by the April 15, 2011 deadline. If they don't raise this money they must either pay the remaining balance out of their own pockets or make the difficult decision not to go.
But, thankfully Christina and Steve have a plan....and something tells me you are gonna love it.
If we can raise the $5,300.00 needed for the marathon benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by April 15th Christina's husband, Steve, has agreed to wax his body free of (almost) all hair.
But, we're not stopping there...
For every $100.00 donation they receive the person who made the donation is invited to the party and gets to rip one of the strips of hair off of Steve's body! Feeling a little squeemish and not really up for that kind of "hands-on" fundraising? Never fear, you can donate your turn to one of Christina and Steve's children.
As you can imagine they are chomping at the bit to take a turn on Dad!
THIS, my friends, is the face of a man who would do ANYTHING for his wife!
How do we know that?
Because he already has!
When Christina was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer she went from being a stay-at-home mom who also homeschooled her oldest child, to a mom who could no longer muster the strength to sit at the dinner table; Let alone actually cook the food that was on it.
Christina spent her days at the hospital receiving chemo infusions, at home sleeping off the debilitating exhaustion and mental fogginess that followed, and concentrating on fighting back against the cancer. This left very little energy to do the necessary tasks that come with being a full time wife and mother of four young children.
Christina's church, Northwest Baptist, in Reisterstown, Maryland arranged meals for the family and for 6 months (!!!) neither she nor Steve had to worry about who was going to get a hot meal on the table.
However, the household and outside chores, daily care of the children, packing lunches, taking children to and from the bus stop, bathtime, bedtime, and the like was taken on by Steve. He did all this while also holding down a full time job in the DC metro area. When Steve could not be there his mom or Christina's mom would step in to take up the slack.
Christina said to me, "He never once complained or fussed about having to do so much. Not even when he had to do bathtime for the kids (and that is his least favorite chore)...he did it all for six months!"
So, it comes as no surprise to me, or anyone who knows Steve, that when it came to helping his wife raise money for the LLS he was going to be her biggest supporter.
Even if it means sacrificing his body hair in the process.
The Eastwood Family:
Christina, Steve, Brandon, Maddy, Gabe, & Oliva
So, this is where all of you come in!
Christina & Steve Eastwood and their team, The Trail Monkeys, need to raise $3,785.00 of their $5,300.00 goal by April 15th in order to comply with the minimum entry requirement for the race.
You may be wondering what is possible with a $25, $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 donation?
*A donation of $25 provides patients and their loved ones with FREE booklets that contain up-to-date information on their disease and help them make informed decisions about their treatment options.
*A donation of $50 makes possible a Family Support group with a trained facilitator where comfort can be found and experiences can be shared among patients and family members.
*A donation of $100 helps supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for cures.
*A donation of $500 provides patient aid to three families with a loved one living with a blood cancer.
*A donation of $1,000 makes possible one-on-one conversations with health care specialists who provide patients with information about their disease, treatment options, and helps prepare them with questions for their health care team.
You can easily donate to Christina & Steve's team online by clicking here.
You can also write a check payable to LLS and mail it to:
Steve & Christina Eastwood
15217 Old Hanover Rd
Upperco, MD 21155
I thank you all for reading Christina's amazing story over the past two days and I pray our donations make it possible for Christina and others like her to persevere over cancer.
