Shave the Beard

Two weeks after the birth of our second son in May 2014, my wife Jodi noticed changes in her body that shortly thereafter led to a diagnosis of Hodgkins Lymphoma. Six months of chemotherapy followed, and she battled through each cycle with courage and determination.

In November, Jodi spent a week on the Oncology ward at Palmerston North Hospital for treatment-related complications.

I took it upon myself then to grow a beard. I'd never grown a beard for any real length of time before and did my best to pass off my expression of Neanderthal entitlement as *cough* a gesture of support - not that suffering through the itch and irritation of new beard growth can in any way be compared to the fight to rid ones body of cancer.

Jodi has been cancer-free since February and is slowly returning to her old self. But for many Kiwis their brave fight against cancer does not end so well. Cancer is a miserable beast and attacks at will; randomly and without specific aim or direction.

Research is needed to find a cure, and funding is needed for that research to continue.

In November 2015, my beard becomes a yeard (a delightfully clever fusion of the words 'year' and 'beard'). I've grown quite fond of it over the past year, and have discovered this city is filled with beard admirers unafraid of passing compliments.

But sadly, the compliments of a hundred strangers cannot make up for the overriding fact that Jodi is simply not a fan. She has many strengths, the greatest perhaps being patience and tolerance, demonstrated consistently as I insisted on preening my beard into the magnificent state it is today.

Which brings me to the point of this Give-A-Little fundraiser. I promised Jodi that I would shave off my beard if I managed to raise $500 for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand through donations from family, friends and strangers.

The statement on their logo says it all: 'Our Mission is to Care, Our Vision is to Cure'.

I am going to shave off my beard at the beginning of November whether this effort raises $50 or $500 because Jodi has endured my misguided vanity for long enough.

But please do support ongoing research efforts by donating $5, $10 or more. Every dollar helps and the more money pledged increases the likelihood that a local media organisation might take interest when the beard comes off at the beginning of November. Coincidently, November is Mens Health Awareness month and the Movember Foundation will be doing what they do well all across the country. I know Movember is a big event where I work so perhaps we can raise both profiles together.