Kathy Barnard on why getting Julie home is important to her…
When I heard Julie’s story this past weekend, it hit me personally- in so many ways. Firstly as a mom, and secondly as a wife but also because as a Melanoma patient, I know all too well what this family is experiencing.
Having failed to respond to any other treatment options available to me, and let’s be honest, there weren’t that many, and very few had ever had any sort of successful response rate, I found myself in Edmonton, Alberta, in 2006 undergoing treatment in a clinical trial. I was on round six when things went terribly wrong. I can still remember seeing the look of fear on my husband’s face as doctors and nurses were scrambling to get me stabilized. I remember the conversation in the room of having to move me to another hospital with a critical care unit. And all that kept going through my mind is, I can’t be here – I need to be home in B.C. with my two boys, my family. Please get me home. I wanted to be able to click my heals together and be home.
Julie’s story is all to familiar, a reminder why I started this foundation 10 years ago, how lucky I was, how real this disease is. We need to get Julie home to her six year old son, Adam, to her family. She needs to be home.
Thank you to so many of you who have already given to the GoFundMe campaign to get her home. Julie is booked on a Medivac flight on the morning of March 2nd, 2016. She’s almost there Adam! Your mom is almost home.
Please help us to keep spreading the word and donate, if you can: https://www.gofundme.com/juliecrawford
Update as of Tuesday, March 1st at 5:30pm PST: So many of you have supported and reached out and let us know you are thinking of Julie and her family and following her story. The community has been incredible. We’ll post updates and related news articles here so that the SYSF community can stay updated.
Huffpost Alberta: Julie Crawford’s Dying Wish Granted As She Flies Home For Son’s 7th Birthday
CTV Edmonton News: Getting Julie home to her son on his birthday
Calgary Metro News: GoFundMe page raises cash to fly dying Alberta woman home
CHQR AM770: Fundraiser to medivac terminally ill mother home for final wish
CKNW: Crowd funding initiative launched for Edmonton woman with inoperable cancer
AM730: Crowd funding initiative launched for Edmonton woman with inoperable cancer
Thank you,
Kathy Barnard
Founder & President, Save Your Skin Foundation
