Tracy’s Bracelets

August 28, 2009 by Karen  

Brace
Dear friend TRACY BATTISTA created silicone rainbow bracelets with the words “Hope and Angels for Zaiden’s Mom” – They were quite a hit and helped us raise funds for my treatment in Mexico!

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Kerry and Sandy’s Jewelry Party

August 28, 2009 by Karen  

Many thanks to my dear friends KERRY MURRAY STEFKO and SANDY COWAN FISHER.

These ole girlfriends from Montclair (NJ) hosted a jewelry party and raised over $1000 by having a good time with friends and doing what they normally do!

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Krista Vernoff’s Letter

August 28, 2009 by Karen  

My friend Krista sent out the following letter to her network of friends and family:

I have an old friend from my Portland days — she was known as Karen Stapleton then and we did a production of the Rivals together. (Her name changed for awhile to Kalena but she is now back to her birth name, Karen.)

Karen is beautiful and funny and talented and vital and the mother of a gorgeous four year old. In the summer of 2007 she was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer and given 6 months to live. It’s been nearly two years now, and that is a huge victory. If you donated when last I wrote you, I thank you and I thank and I thank you. And here I am asking again. Because Karen is alive and, if not entirely well, fighting like hell for more time to watch her daughter Zaiden grow. But her chemo recently stopped working and the cancer is spreading again.

She is fundraising like crazy. She needs $40,000 to go to The San Diego clinic in Mexico where a doctor named Dr. Munoz employs very effective chemotherapies (many of them developed in Germany, but not yet approved by the FDA). The cost of the clinic isn’t covered by insurance. But keep in mind — this isn’t just “alternative” medicines — it isn’t vitamins and herbs. it’s the cutting edge of chemotherapies that have yet to approved.

I don’t want Karen to die because she got cancer before the FDA approved the chemos that can help her.

Now, here’s the thing for me. I have two other friends in their early 40’s who are living with Stage 4 breast cancer. I feel so freaking powerless to help. If I can help Karen raise the money to go to this clinic and she has successful treatment — if her life is extended by even a year or two — then I will feel less powerless. I will shout from the rooftops to all who will listen that there is more that can be done. My Mom has made a lifelong avocation of studying alternative health and medicines and she is a believer in Dr. Munoz’s work and that excites me too because she researches everything like crazy.

40 grand is a huge amount of money to one single mom like Karen. But what we now know because of email and sites like facebook, is that none of us is really single. None of us is really alone. We have all touched hundreds of lives throughout our lives and now miraculously, we’re all back in touch. I have nearly 300 facebook friends to whom I’ve already written. I’m now emailing hundreds more. If we all kicked in 100 dollars, Karen would be all the way there. And I know 100 dollars is a lot more than many can afford, but if we all kicked in 5 or 10 or 20 dollars, and then spread the word, perhaps to other people with friends affected by cancers, friends who are feeling powerless or alone or scared and would like to becomes a part of something… I think we could raise this money today. Honestly — if we each sent 5 dollars and then asked 20 friends to send 5 dollars, we’d meet this goal. There is SO MUCH POWER in numbers. And we have numbers.

It’s not tax deductible. It’s not a guaranteed cure. But it’s something we can do. Something we can try. Something important and beautiful, of which we can be a part.

If you’d like to donate, please go to www.reachforthejoy.org or join the facebook group “Help Save Karen’s Life with Alternative Cancer Treatment.” You can then go to these sites for updates as to the fundraising and Karen’s health or, you can just send a check to
Karen/ Reach for the Joy, Inc.
1118 Josephine St.
Denver, CO 80206.
If the world goes crazy and she raises more than she needs for her healthcare, the money will go into a trust for her beautiful daughter, Zaiden.

I hope she raises the money. I hope she gets the treatment and that the treatment helps. I’m a Mom now and I cannot begin to imagine the idea of not getting to see my Coco grow up, of not getting to help her grow up. It feels very personal to me. And I’ll be very grateful if you all help. Thank you. Thank you so so much.
Love and Blessings and Happiness and Health to you All. xxooo Krista

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