Support Claudia's Fight Against Breast Cancer

We are raising funds for our friend, Claudia Malec. She is the kind of person who drops everything to help others regardless of whether she's ever met them-and that very much includes the beings of the four legged kind. "We can't change the world, but we can change the world for them," observes Claudia, one of the founders of the south jersey animal rescue, Wandering Whiskers.

And change she has in the best of ways for senior cats with no teeth. ferals or friendlies, the old, the young, the teeny tinies and everything in between. For more then 20 years Claudia has answered her phone in the dead of night for a plea for help from a stranger. Regardless of the hour, so often she'd throw on her clothes, jump in her truck and head out to do a hero's work. No cape required. Her enormous heart and fearless spirit carried her through no matter the obstacles ahead.

Claudia is uncomfortable to say the least in asking for help as she is usually the one offering it. So now, we, her friends, who have been endlessly awestruck by her compassion for others, are asking for her. Breast cancer is now her reality and she has been unable to work for months, she has fosters to take care of along with her own rescued kitties, and of course, herself. Mortgages, utilities, food, veterinary needs, prescriptions for herself, pile up quickly and is utterly overwhelming.

For the longest time, Claudia thought that she dodged a bullet. "I thought that after three generations of strong women in my family fighting it, that perhaps I had beaten the odds. That this evil disease wouldn't rear its ugly head again, but it did and here I am. At first there is fear, crippling fear, then thousands of questions. And then I looked around and saw all of the other strong, beautiful women fighting this disease around me with their eyes that spoke without saying a word and my fear started to turn to resolve to fight this with them. I pray, a lot. Cry a lot, not just for me but for them and wonder why treatment hasn't changed much, and it needs to. It feels barbaric sometimes, like its from the dark ages, but you keep going because you can't lose sight of the hope that you cling to every day."

There is hope indeed.

If you are the praying kind, please pray for Claudia and please donate what you can to help her push through to wellness and continue her compassionate, critical mission.