A Wish for a Very Special Mother

The month of May presents a new season.  Spring is here, the rain cleanses and brings color back into the world.  It is a time of new beginnings and fresh starts, a time of hope.  It is also the month we celebrate the women responsible for bringing us into the world, the women who loved us, who guided us, who helped us grow into the people we've become.  At the ripe age of almost 43, I, Jennifer Lowery-Reynolds, see seeds of my mother within me.  I am her love of beauty, her love of history, her love of education.  I am her fierce defender of children, I am her giving heart, I am her daughter.  I may not be a mother, myself, but I know how important that unbreakable bond can be, a bond that survives all of life's pitfalls, a bond that goes on even after a loss. That loss can come in all forms, and it's devastating when a disease comes along and strips a mother from her child long before it's time to move on from this world.  I know this feeling, and my longtime friend, Jamie Gattone, knows this feeling.  Now her best friend, Kim McAvoy, who is also a childhood friend of mine, is fighting to stop this feeling.  She is a loving daughter and a loving mother of three.  With one adult daughter, and two beautiful elementary school-aged girls, she again, is fighting for her life.
            Four years ago she was diagnosed with a very aggressive stage 2 breast cancer.  Without an income, and with her little ones at home, she battled through many sessions of chemotherapy, radiation treatment, and surgery, and by the grace of God, she was declared cancer-free.  Within the last few weeks, however, Kim was diagnosed with a recurrence of breast cancer. Two very aggressive tumors must be minimized with chemotherapy, and when the treatment is complete, she will need a double radical mastectomy. Unable to work again, with medical bills coming in on top of the regular bills, Kim cannot care for herself and her family without help.  And so, her best friend, Jamie and I are asking for a special wish.  May 23rd is her 43rd day on this earth and may she have many more days to be a loving mother and daughter.  Please say “Happy Birthday” to Kim by giving a $23.00 donation in honor of her special day.  This birthday fundraiser is for the entire month of May.  We hope to raise $2,500 by the 31st deadline. If you can donate more, we sincerely appreciate your generosity.  Thank you. Kim deserves many more birthdays, Mother's Days, and springs to enjoy. 

 “Guided by my heritage of a love of beauty and a respect for strength -- in search of my mother's garden, I found my own.” -Alice Walker, "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens."