For Hayley and my mama (Sandra)

Kia ora whanau!

If you know me, you will know that I lost my best friend and love of my life to cancer in 2014. Hayley Nicole Young is without a doubt the very best person I have ever known and I am so blessed to have had two years of loving and being loved by her. Anyone who was lucky enough to have met or known Hayley knows how truly special and one of a kind she will always be. Losing Hayley is a heartbreak that I will never fully heal from, and I will carry her with me in my heart forever.

Last May, my mum was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. A particularly aggressive strain, that she luckily caught in time so that it hadn’t spread anywhere else. She had a lumpectomy, received chemotherapy and radiation, and will begin another treatment shortly to help prolong the effectiveness of the chemo/radiation in hopes that the cancer will stay gone. My mama is the strongest woman I’ve ever known and is the best role mode I could have ever asked for - I am so lucky she is my mum. She gave this fight everything she’s got and I am so thankful she is still here with me. While there is a chance that the cancer may re-emerge, we are keeping a positive mindset and focusing on the fact that she kicked cancer’s butt once so she can definitely do it again.

I’ve been growing my hair out for the past year and few months in order to donate it to Freedom Wigs, who will use my hair to create a wig for someone who has cancer or alopecia, and the time has finally arrived to give it the chop (I used the last of my shampoo and conditioner this morning).

I am raising money for three organisations who are very dear to my heart. Hayley was supported by CanTeen throughout her cancer battle up until she passed away in April 2014 and I will forever be grateful to them for the love and kindness shown to both Hayley and her whanau, as well as her friends. The Breast Cancer Foundation and Cancer Society Waikato/BOP have supported my mum throughout her treatment and continue to be available to her throughout this journey, so I am indebted to them for all their help over the past year and a bit.

All three of these organisations do incredible work for people in Aotearoa who are diagnosed with different forms of cancer, as well as their whanau and community.

I am planning on cutting the hair I intend to donate next weekend (29th/30th August - haven’t booked in a day yet) and will be shaving the remainder of my hair so that it grows evenly in the future, and will close the page on 1st September.

If you would like to donate and you are financially able to - I would really appreciate it! And I would love to send you a handwritten thank you note if you don’t mind sharing your details with me!

Arohanui ❤️