Welcome to Friday’s Featured Female!
This weekly series features inspirational stories from admirable women. IMHO, it’s always good to be reminded of how strength, determination, hard work, heart and ingenuity can impact the quality of one’s life.
Normally, I share stories written by the women themselves but today I’m writing the feature because this is a cause that needs to be shared!
Friday’s Featured Females are Meredith and Allison Yacht of BraveHoods
13,000 children are diagnosed with cancer every year. Meredith Yacht is a cancer survivor. She’s 8 years old, nearly the same age as my own child. While Merry was going through the chemotherapy and radiation treatments required to treat her rhabdomyosarcoma in 2011, the loss of her hair was almost worse than the side effects of the treatment. Kids with cancer just want to feel like a “regular” kid and bald heads with scarves, hats and awkward wigs only made it harder for Merry not to stand out and feel uncomfortable.
Merry’s mother, Allison discovered that a hoodie t-shirt was the one thing that helped her child feel warm, comfortable and even just a little bit stylish during throes of cancer treatment and she made it her mission to bring those elusive things to other brave children fighting cancer by developing BraveHoods.
Bravehoods is a one-for-one organization, that GIVES a super soft hooded t-shirt to a child (and siblings!) with cancer for every BraveHood sold.
Two of the examples of Bravehood t-shirts available.
Over 750 BraveHoods have been donated nationwide thus far but that’s not enough.
BraveHoods wants to donate 13,000 t-shirts in 2015….and YOU can help!
Vote here and help BraveHoods win $10,000 grant from KIND snacks KINDCauses!
If you my words aren’t enough to convince you to support BraveHoods, this video will.
You might be made of stone if the video above didn’t pierce your heart like it did mine. I’m in awe of how the Yacht family (Allison’s husband, Steve and Merry’s brother, Zach are also part of Bravehoods) have endured the ordeal of cancer treatment and yet are inspired to go above and beyond to help others.
Cancer doesn’t discriminate – cancer took my stepmother before she was 40 and has robbed the son of good friends of a carefree childhood (Danny van Schaik has been fighting leukemia since age 10 – see here or donate to Danny’s cause here). Cancer is awful but when it affects children it seems especially unfair.
Please support Bravehoods by voting in the KINDCauses contest here:
and via the following outlets :
Buy (and donate) a Bravehood t-shirt
Know A Brave Kid Fighting Cancer? Apply here
My child doesn’t have cancer but so many other people’s children do.
I want to do my part to help Bravehoods to help children with cancer until cancer is eradicated.
Please do what you can to help Merry, Allison and Bravehoods or in your own way.
Thank you!
Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. I have no professional affiliation with KIND (other than being a fan of their products) and although Allison Yacht is the sister-in-law of a friend, I have no vested interest in BraveHoods (other than supporting the cause). Please know that I will NOT earn any affiliate fees if you choose to make a purchase through the links in this post. All opinions expressed here are my own as a human being who believes in helping anyone and everyone in the fight against cancer.
As you know I shared.. cancer sucks & has hit us hard too – HUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love this cause!
What an amazing family!! Thanks for featuring them Melissa and bringing some awareness to what Merry & Alison are doing- a great cause.
Thank you so much for sharing this Jody. Cancer really does hit everyone but when a childhood friend put this up about her SIL and niece, I know I needed to bring attention to this great cause. I can’t thank you enough for your support!
Carly:
Thank you for sharing and for your support. I’m so in awe of Allison, Merry and the whole Yacht family. I’m not sure I could be that strong and take my pain and utilize it to help others so unselfishly. I’d like to think I would but I’m not sure I’d have the strength.
Hoping you are keeping warm and feeling well.