How Think Pink helped Cindy's fight

I could never have planned last week in a million years.

We had planned to go camping. Work was cleared off the calendar, and I worked at deadlines so the time could be freed up. But there were always delays and reasons not to get out the door. And now I know why. Little did I know what exactly I was freeing up time for.

 My niece-in-law Cindy fell ill with a sudden bout of cancer and was fighting for her life. I along with Cindy's dear friends Lisa and Amy fired up Think Pink for Cindy, a Facebook group that offered moral support, prayer, and a ton of Think Pink pictures to help encourage Cindy during her battle.

Here is the outstanding result of Think Pink.

In 2 days, the group sprung to over 800 members! I needed help from new moderators (thanks!) to keep up with the flow of traffic, letting everyone in. The rush of support was amazing. More amazing than you'll ever know. Cindy was overheard exclaiming, "This is CRAZY!"

And that makes me smile.

I  changed my FB banner to reflect the warrior mood this all put me in. We were this band of 800 throwing up encouraging messages faster than you could blink. It went on for three days.

And then the unthinkable happened. A message that stunned everyone.

Shocking. Just like that. Everything came to a screeching halt. We lost our girl.

I sat at my computer with my jaw open. Facebook statuses started to spring up on how this could have happened. It was just so sudden and shocking.

The complications were just too great. Cindy was an incredible fighter. Unfortunately, she just couldn't pull through. It was such an emotional loss.

Why?

Zoe Brown Photography

Other than the fact that so many loved her, she leaves behind two young children and a husband that adores her. They had just moved from Ontario and were making a new start in Alberta, Canada.

But even more than that? They tried for 7 years to have a new baby. Their little lady is only 14 months old.

How does one even start? How do you go home and just start over? We don't really know.

Right after Cindy left us, I needed to punch through the feeling of defeat and built a website.  It's not fancy, it's just a blog, but it's a place to call home for now for those that would like to stay in touch with the family's story, to read up on Cindy and to help support their new journey through comments, prayer and donations. Because Cindy didn't have life insurance. 

She made mention of it when in the hospital but it was too late to do anything about it. She thought she was going in for a checkup and 2 weeks later never came home. Luckily, Brad is employed, however his job also takes him on the road on occasion. Cindy was a stay at home mom. 

Your continued good thoughts and prayers would be so much appreciated for this family. And if you feel so inclined to make even a small donation to help, that would be beyond amazing. Thank-you!

Cindy will be so terribly missed by so many. But I just can't tell you how grateful I am that you helped make her feel loved right when she really REALLY needed it. I will NEVER forget it.

~ Don't allow this post to make you feel awful. Use it to better yourself. Trivial things really are trivial. Live life today like you may be gone tomorrow. Love those around you and let them love you back. Be prepared for the inevitable. Become the person you wish you were starting today. Think Pink to help remember what really matters. Love. Just love. Thank-you for leaving us that gift, Cindy. - Donna ~

In memory of Cindy.