CHRISTmas for Cancer Families

Each year Courage to BE Yoga Studio uses 10% of our profits to provide Christmas for a family suffering from the effects of cancer. We would like to invite you to join us in this Christmas tradition once again!

In loving memory of Riley Culley

My sweet son fought long and hard to give his family and friends each day he was here, and each one was a gift.  Riley now fights in our behalf without being seen, only felt.  my heart is so full, as well as broken, as I once again am faced with the awareness that having this be a tribute to Riley is acknowledging He beat me to heaven.

I love my dear son and miss him more than words can begin to describe, but for him, and because of him, and with his continued help, I will live like Riley and help those who are suffering.

I hate cancer.  I wish I could take it away, but since I cannot, I will do what I can to soften the painful wake it leaves behind.

This year will be our fifth year providing Christmas for families suffering the effects of cancer.  Currently we are working toward helping four families

Mason is an amazing 10 year old boy.  He loves anything outdoors and being with his family.

At the beginning of August 2021 he started having cold-like symptoms that never seemed to get better, by the 23rd of August, when Mason did not seem to be healing, he was taken to the pediatrician, where he was diagnosed with a sinus infection and given antibiotics.

By August 27th Mason’s mom noticed that his neck was very swollen.  His lymph nodes were massive.  His parents took him to Primary Children’s Hospital for a second opinion.  In less than 24 hours, after many tests and a biopsy, it was determined that sweet Mason had T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma.  The very next day Mason went in for surgery to have a port placed in his chest so he could immediately begin treatment.

The Allred’s world was turned upside down.  Mason will be in treatment and receiving chemo for 3-4 years.  This is a very aggressive cancer.  Mason has just entered phase 2 of Chemo, which is thankfully all outpatient.  He has 3-4 more phases to go before he begins the maintenance phase.

On top of this, the Allred’s are temporarily living in the basement of a family member while their new home in Tooele is completed.

 

Meet the Fraser Family

Sharon Fraser was diagnosed at age 31 with stage 3 grade 3 triple positive breast cancer in April 2021. After learning she holds no genetic markers for breast cancer, it’s easy to ask “why me?”  She quickly realized “why not me?”

Cancer is unfair. It doesn’t care that Sharon has 3 young children. It doesn’t care that she was in the middle of a very difficult semester at Weber University.
Since her diagnosis in April, treatment has moved very quickly, because her type of breast cancer is considered highly aggressive.

Sharon finished a very difficult summer of strong chemo that took all her hair and aged her significantly. Within 1 month of finishing the aggressive chemo it was time for a bilateral mastectomy. This amputation surgery is intense, but she managed the pain well. What Sharron didn’t expect was the emotional and phycological pain. Looking in the mirror and realizing that she had lost feminity along with the loss of her hair and breasts was very depressing, to say the least.

 
Sharon is currently in the middle of the recommended 25 rounds of radiation. And back on infusions of a small dose of chemo every 21 days.  She will continue infusions until July 2022.

Sharon and her familty will spend over a year aggressively fighting this disease, and 5-10 years after that she will experience medically induced menopause.

Sharon is very positive and hopeful, with lots of faith in her doctors to make sure she can see her sweet babies grow up.

Sharon said, “My kids have been my best medicine. They cuddle me when I’m too sick to move and make me laugh when the future feels too dark. I’m infinitely grateful to the many members of my family and friends who have helped me through these last 7 months. God continues to be a light of hope for me. I’m looking forward to feeling better soon and spending lots of time with my kids having fun and being an example of bravery.”

 

Meet the Booth Family

Paysley is 13 years old and was born with a congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Right Heart syndrome, (she only has half a heart) and heterotaxy syndrome.

Less than a year ago, at age 12, she was given the diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Paysley’s family knew cancer was going to be hard, but said that “Paysley is the strongest girl we know so we know she can handle it”.

Paysley is 3 months cancer free! But the aftermath left in the wake of cancer treatment is wreaking havoc on her already delicate body.  The Booth family is praying hard and supporting Paysley as they work with her doctors to get her body strong enough to possibly receive a heart transplant.

 The past 7 months have been the hardest and scariest days of this families lives, but they feel they have only become a stronger family because of it.

Meet the Rinehart Family

After 6 months of intense migraines, lots of appontments, several scans, 2 brain surgeries & multiple biopsies, Ashlyn was diagnosed with a grade 4 astrocytoma, a form of brain cancer.

As counterintuitive as it may seem, Ashlyn & Brycen are not in the mindset of fighting this cancer. They genuinely have a great love for this experience and all the healing, vision and hope it is bringing to them, their families and all those they love. They are so grateful for all those who have, and continue to serve and support them.

Ashlyn feels strongly that this is not happening TO her, but rather is happening FOR her. As her and her dear husband seek for the “WHY” in all their ups and downs, it helps to dissolve fears and anxieties.

Ashlyn says, “Purpose is captivating, filling us with love and peace. That is what I wish for each of you this holiday season, and in your journeys in life. We have experienced many miracles, and know they will continue. We feel God is preparing us to help with healing of all kinds in this world, and have started a foundation called Behold with the goal of reaching as many people as we are able to through our lives.” 

Meet the Price Family

When Kristi was a little girl her parents noticed a brown spot in her right iris – the colored part of her eye. The doctors told them it was just a freckle and not to worry about it. In 2009 her eye doctor asked if she was aware of a tumor in her eye. After many tests, images, having her case presented at grand rounds to dozens of doctors, she was refered to see a specialist in Philadelphia. Those doctors also told her  the lesion was likely just a freckle. 
Fast forward to 2013 when Kristi was 24 and pregnant with her first son, the lesion in her eye started bleeding, forming a painful blood clot in her eye. Kristi went back to Philadelphia to ask the specialists to remove the lesion. She was shocked and surprised when the specialists in Philadelphia told her the lesion had changed from a freckle to a type of cancer called amelanotic uveal melanoma. 
 Kristi had successful plaque radiation treatment and was told to  monitor for metastasis every 6 months. This type of cancer is rare, especially for someone her age, and is never considered to be “in remission” – so we do a chest x ray and blood work every 6 months and an MRI once a year.
 In September this year, an MRI showed a spot on Kristi’s spleen. They were very concerned about this spot, as cancer in the spleen has a very poor prognosis.  An hour before her surgery was scheduled, a few more specialists looked at her scans and questioned whether the spot was cancer.
 An MRI will be repeated the begining of December. The Price’s are hopeful that they will witness a miracle and the spot will be gone.
Want to Join Us?

If you’d like to join us in providing Christmas for one of these sweet families this year, please let me know by clinking the “I WANT TO DONATE” button below, to email me, or text me at (801) 232-6034 with any questions or ideas! Monetary donations are welcome!