A Christmas wish for my amazing sister, Karon

Aim

Help me bring a small Christmas wish to my brave and amazing big sister and her little family!

This year has been littered with knock back after knock back for our Karon, who was first let down by her doctors and not referred for a routine check-up. After going private, she has since been diagnosed with bladder cancer. From that point and in the space of 3 short months, she has had her prognosis upgraded from stage 2, benign, to malignant, then to stage 4 and then beyond that, multiple tumors in lymph nodes and then her spine and bones. She has been told she is terminal, and likely short term, and has already had to undergo two separate operations on a scale the likes we cant even imagine. Yet she is is a miracle of human spirit and at every stage has bounced back from her latest bad news and is consistently trying to find the positives. She is defiantly up for the fight and this is driven on by the intense and protective love for her children, 2 of which are her young boys (9 and 14).

Her latest operation was to remove a tumor that was eating away at a vertebrae and she was actually facing the very real possibility of not walking afterwards. Her spine is now encased in a cage that looks more like scaffolding, but such is her resolve, that she is fighting on, she is up on her feet and she is facing her latest battle of physio to enable her to walk...'down the aisle' at the start of December. For those who know us, you will know that we are also dealing almost losing our dad to the same awful disease and it is kind of a miracle that he is going to be able to walk her down the aisle, based on his prognosis 4 weeks ago. Karon is not only facing her own illness, but is also dealing with our dad also being stage 4, terminal. It all doesn't feel real and although this Christmas isn't how we would write it, we are thankful they are both still with us and hopeful, some special, everlasting memories can be created.

'Gift of a wedding' are making her dreams come true and helping her and the boys' dad marry while it is still possible. I am going to  be bowled over with pride and emotion to watch my beautiful sister fulfill her dreams and would love to be able to give her a special gift. Peter has been a hero, selflessly caring for her, sorting the boys, housework and everything in between while still trying to work to earn a living. Karon's condition is serious and her care is around the clock, so Peter has been forced to take some time off work, hence they have no real income. Speaking with Peter this weekend, they haven't even considered Christmas, as understandably it is pretty low down their list of priorities. I can't allow that for my sister's possible last one.

There isn't much we can do, but it breaks my heart that it may well be our Karon's last Christmas with her family. Obviously, we are all praying that this isn't the case. I would love your help to be able to raise a useful amount of money to simply help provide the kind of Christmas they all deserve. I would like to surprise Karon with this gift at her wedding on the 1st December, which is less than a fortnight away now, so I would appreciate your discretion in helping me to keep this a secret from her until then.

Karon will start intense Chemotherapy straight after her wedding, so Christmas is likely to be a tough time, but I would love any help you can offer. We don't ask much and small donations from some of our family and friends could really add up. Any small amount you can offer would be so appreciated and I know would make the world of difference to them. Thanks in advance and best wishes.

This project successfully funded on 29th November 2017