Hey everyone,
My name is Amanda. I can be often be found on the water on an OC or DB, maybe out of FCRCC or DZ. I'm the nude bungee jumper... the tiny asian coach of Banana Fusion, the politically incorrect dragonboat instructor for Paddles Up...
Maybe we never met at all and you have no idea who I am.
Anyway... I treat the dragonboat community as my own family and when I thought of places I might get support in a time of need... I thought about DBW. The only place I know of where dragonboaters of all ages, shapes, sizes, and ability gather and discuss things and help each other out. From picking the best OC paddle to analyzing where the harness would hurt if I bungee'd naked... you guys were there for me.
Now here's the part I hate talking about but I have to.
My mother, Anne, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004... 2 years before I graduated from high school. Needless to say, my two sisters and I became a complete wreck and almost lost our sanity. After I graduated I held myself together and did the Weekend to End Breast Cancer 2007. That summer was great, because her cancer looked like it was under control and she would be healthy again.
This April (2008) she was given 6 months to live because the cancer had spread dramatically to her lungs and surrounding area. She did not tell me this information until last Monday. I was devastated. She has been coughing for the past few months but I never understood why. On October 20th, she coughed so hard she fractured her own rib and was sent to the hospital. Now, she is lying on her bed, wilting and getting sick from her chemotherapy and morphine. My sisters and I feel helpless watching her suffer like that. My dad does not live with me, so it is only myself, Monika (17 years old), Katrina (14) and Kirbie, our two year old maltese.
5 years ago she'd have enough energy to last for days, making sure we eat right and do our homework and be good people. 2 weeks ago she was crying, screaming in pain, and apologizing for all of the bad things she's done in her life. Today, she is motionless and silent. She is always sleeping, except for when she is sick, then she goes back to sleep.
I cannot explain how hard it is to even look at her. The woman who gave me life and made sure I ate right (so I can dragonboat more) is slipping away before my very eyes and I am powerless to stop it.
I decided in the middle of last week that I'm going to do the Weekend to End Breast Cancer again. August 2009. I'm asking for your support ... either financially or spiritually. I am required to raise at least $2000 in order to participate in the walk. My personal goal is $5000. I am going to write down every single donation in a small pink journal I bought and show my mom whenever it gets updated. Please be a part of that book...
You can donate here:
http://www.endcancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Vancouver2009?px=2824943&pg=personal&fr_id=1320You can also register for the walk. It costs $50 and you must raise $2000. As much as I encourage you to raise money as well, I realize this is a difficult task... so I will gladly do the walk and raise that money.
So far I have raised $1790 in 3 days. So much support from the people around me... I believe that cancer can be beaten in this lifetime.
I'm 20 years old. I don't know a lot about life yet. But I do know that this is not how someone should leave this earth. And I know that you do NOT want to go through the same thing my mom is going through... from the bottom of my heart I ask you to help me make cancer obsolete.
From the heart of manda.
(she has a serious side for once)
ps: If you want to see a pic of my mom there is one in the middle of this video.
I told myself I won't cover Beatles songs unless I'm ready but... anyway I dedicate this cover to my mom. And I'm very sorry, I'm really not a singer nor a guitar player. Which makes it that much more special, I think... haha..
