A Good Cause

This is a guest post from my friend Katie, about a fellow adoptive family. We were all fostering our kiddos in Antigua, Guatemala at the same time in 06-07. Please consider buying a raffle ticket to support this young family during their struggle with cancer.

Katie writes:

During Guate-time in my pity party of "I've been here so long and my case is so screwed up" I met a beautiful adoptive mom named Shelly who's case made mine look easy. On top of having an adorable daughter the same age as Eliot, she had cute hair and her sports-loving husband was also there for a visit trip. We became friends and made plans to find a TV showing football games on New Years Day. We spent the day with Shelly and Paul and another couple in Antigua's version of a sports bar. It made for a great memory.


Shelly and Paul brought A home a few months before we came home. The details are foggy to me but within the year of being home, Paul was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic cancer of his liver, bones and bile duct. Since then he's tried different treatments. Here's an excerpt from an email from Shelly:

Paul has been treated with Chemotherapy with some success and has completed some radiation- the chemotherapy helped what it could but then we were told that the cancer was spreading and it would not help any further. Paul has enrolled in a cancer trial at MD Anderson Houston and it requires us to travel to Houston every 21 days for treatment. This trial is in Phase II and so far is the only trial that is viable for conventional treatment today. We have our really good days and some bad days but are certainly enjoying time as a family. This fundraiser has been put together to help us with the costs that we are facing involving this treatment.

Some clarification: "traveling to Houston" is from MN. Not such a quick trip, especially with a 2 year old and when you're not feeling well. They have a fundraiser going on this month that I think is pretty great so I wanted to post the details in case 1 or 12 or 200 of your are interested in helping out a great family in a tricky situation. Here's the details that I copied off their website, it's a raffle:

1) Raffle Tickets. 1 Ticket for $50 or 3 Tickets for $100. The tickets are available for immediate purchase by contacting jenny.schlundt@verizon.net and indicating how many tickets you would like to purchase - she will mail you the stubs. If you are willing to sell tickets on our behalf, Jenny will send you packs in increments of 10 to sell to others. The raffle tickets are available for purchase up until drawing time at the close of the benefit. No need to be present to win. The prizes for the raffle are:

*Grand Prize – Your choice of the following:

-7-day stay in condo off Ocean Drive in South Beach Miami plus $1000 cash.

-10-day stay in condo in Maui, Hawaii plus $1000 cash.

*2nd prize -$500

*3rd Prize -$250

Support the Trust Fund

2) There is a Paul Kassis Benefit Trust Fund set up at Antigo CoVantage Credit Union. Donations can be made directly to this account at:

Antigo CoVantage Credit Union

Attn: Paul Kassis Benefit

723 6th Ave.

Antigo, WI 54409

Check Payable: Paul Kassis Benefit Trust Account

Telephone – 715 627 4336

The fundraiser starts at 5:00pm Friday, January 30 at the Antigo Knights of Columbus Hall. Dinner will be provided with no admittance fee.

5:00 pm Start
7:00 – 11:00pm. Music, dancing and socializing with MLC Jazz Band providing the live entertainment.

Silent auctions with a variety of items to be bid on with kid games and other activities during the evening.

Shelly and her daughter

People, let's blow this family away! Post this on your blog, tell your family and friends and most importantly, email jenny.schlundt@verizon.net to buy your tickets!!

Leave a comment or shoot me an email when you buy yours and I'll add your name to a drawing for $100 of Arbonne products for free!!

Here is a link to Katie's blog.