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Posts Tagged ‘breast cancer’

Support Wolf Mom in cancer battle

Posted in Fundraisers, tagged , , , , on December 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Heidi Mayne and her family hang out at the Coupeville Wharf.

Heidi Mayne makes Whidbey Island a better place.

Since the US Navy brought her and husband Donald to The Rock, the duo, and their five children, have been among the best and brightest we have.

Some of her offspring have worked their way through Coupeville schools, such as Claire, a CHS senior coming off her second trip to the state cross country meet.

And others have found their niche in Oak Harbor’s academic system, where they’ve been able to more actively pursue their love of art and music at larger schools with more classes.

The Maynes are sort of equal opportunity parents, bestowing gifts on multiple teachers in multiple towns.

But ultimately, and probably because this blog is called Coupeville Sports and not Wildcat News or some such nonsense, I tend to view Heidi as a Wolf Mom first and foremost.

Now she’s also a talented music instructor and certified nursing assistant, with previous stints as a science teacher.

Her children come by their big brains naturally.

But a Wolf Mom through and through she is, from volunteering at activities like Race the Reserve to supporting both her own children and their teammates in various pursuits.

And now, we, the rest of Wolf Nation, can help support Heidi and her family, as she battles HER2+, an aggressive form of breast cancer.

As she undergoes treatment, she has had to stop working at WhidbeyHealth, and end, for now, teaching piano.

Heidi’s fellow nurses started a meal train for the family, and all the spots filled up in rapid order.

Now, they have launched a GoFundMe to help the Maynes with expenses and emotional support.

 

To read more and donate, pop over to:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-for-heidi-mayne?qid=60a769e08ac54bfc7a826e017e8d0325

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Diego Luna’s #1 fan needs our support

Posted in A freakin' American hero, tagged , , , , , on June 30, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Stephanie Blas and family.

She’s special.

A lot of people came and went during my 12 years at Videoville, and Stephanie (Bonacci) Blas remains in the top 1% of my former co-workers.

Back in 2004, when Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights was all the rage — well, in her DVD player at least — I harassed Miramax, Lionsgate, Buena Vista International, and Ingram Entertainment in pursuit of anything and everything released to promote the film.

Stephanie thought the film’s star, Diego Luna (back before he starred in Star Wars: Rogue One), was the bee’s knees, so if there was a poster or piece of paper with him dancing on it, we needed to make sure someone was mailing it to Coupeville.

That was 18 years ago, and things have changed a bit since then.

Miss Bonacci became Mrs. Blas, and she and her husband Kevin — a pretty good dude who kind of looks like Diego Luna a bit, if you squint — are raising sons Liam and Luke.

I left Videoville in 2006, though I still see Stephanie from time to time, thanks to her being the aunt of several of Coupeville’s more prominent athletes.

At 37, one thing remains the same as it was when she was 19 — she is sunshine made human, one of the kindest people you will ever meet.

So, I wish this story was being written for some other reason.

The reality though, is Stephanie has been battling breast cancer since April.

She has Ductal Adenocarcinoma, ER/PR positive, HER2 negative, likely in late stage 2 or early stage 3.

Treatment will likely include chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation, and will greatly disrupt life for Stephanie and her family.

With that in mind, as she begins her fight, Stephanie’s sister Sherry is launching a meal train to ease the transition.

Anything you can do, from meals to gift cards to prayer (if that’s your thing), will be a major help to a young woman who exudes grace, kindness, and joy in everything she does.

 

For more info or to sign-up, pop over to:

https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/o01dwn

 

PS — If Diego Luna’s people see this, Stephanie could probably also use an updated photo. Just sayin’.

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Step up for Sarah Leavell

Posted in Fundraisers, tagged , , , , , on April 24, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Sarah and Joshua Leavell

A Wolf Mom is in need.

Sarah Leavell, whose daughters Anya and Kaitlyn are scholar/athletes at Coupeville High School, has been diagnosed with breast cancer at age 38 and faces an uphill battle.

While the cancer was detected early, she may require multiple rounds of chemotherapy, as well as surgery.

Along with always being in the stands for her daughter’s games, Sarah has worked for a decade at The Seaside Spa & Salon.

Her boss, Aaron Wiley, has launched a GoFundMe to allow the community to reach out and help the Leavell family, which also includes husband Joshua (and his truly remarkable beard).

“While Sarah’s team of doctors are optimistic, there is no doubt that she is facing the fight of her life,” Wiley said.

“Now, if you know Sarah, you know she has a quiet strength and determination that does not quit until the job is done.

“She lives her life like that and will be treating this cancer journey the same way. She’s not going to quit.”

The GoFundMe will help cover medical bills, gas to get back and forth to doctor appointments, and Sarah’s loss of income.

“Please help lift her spirits,” Wiley said. “Relieve some of the stress, so she can focus on what she needs to … beating cancer!”

 

To help the Leavell family, pop over to:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/sarah-leavells-fight-against-breast-cancer?qid=668a3f049acdb3532c251fa3c0560be1

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Run for Tammy!

Posted in Fundraisers, Running, tagged , , , , , on April 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Charlie and Tammy Smith

Enjoy the outdoors and help one of Coupeville’s favorite Wolf Moms.

As Tammy Smith fights breast cancer, daughters Ciara and Ema have launched a number of fundraisers to help their mom.

Their primary goal has been to give her a professionally crafted wig — using their own hair — as her body battles through chemotherapy.

A GoFundMe — https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-tamtam-save-the-tatas?qid=1a74bcca7e65e30bde2db1bb489b0aae — has received 50 donations.

And now the Smith sisters are holding a Color Run 5K Saturday, Apr. 30.

The event will start at 9 AM at Coupeville’s Living Hope Foursquare Church (105 NW Broadway).

Kids, dogs, scooters, and strollers are welcome, and suggested donations are $10 for individuals and $25 for a group of four.

To sign up, email your names to run4tamtam@gmail.com.

To donate, use this QR code:

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Rally for Tammy!

Posted in Fundraisers, tagged , , , , on March 2, 2022| 1 Comment »

Charlie and Tammy Smith

One of the kindest of all Wolf moms could use some help from her massive fan club.

Tammy Smith, who brightened up Coupeville considerably during her time cheering for her daughters, is battling cancer for a second time.

After defeating breast cancer once before, the irrepressible one is back at it, squaring off with a triple negative breast cancer diagnosis.

Smith, who now lives in Arizona with husband Charlie — a pretty big ray of sunshine himself — faces a 24-week working relationship with chemo treatments.

“Mom is currently in good spirits and is as active as ever,” said daughter Ema.

“She’s hiking, and walking, and getting lots of rest, but we know that the road may get harder as treatments go by.

“It is very possible that mom will start to lose her hair at any point.”

With that in mind, Ema and older sister Ciara plan to donate their hair and have a Seattle company, Compassionate Creations, craft a wig for Tammy.

The sisters are hopeful the many communities positively affected by their mom will help support their effort.

They plan to stage a 5K in Coupeville, and have launched a GoFundMe, with the proceeds going directly to cover the cost of the personalized wig, and aid with medical bills.

“We want to express on behalf of our family how thankful we are for the love, prayers, and support we have already received from so many of you,” Ema Smith said.

“Once the wig is made and delivered you can expect a fashion show from Tam Tam herself!

“We hope you’ll join us in supporting our mom in whatever way you can right now, and know that we will be grateful for any and all support given.”

 

For more info and to donate, pop over to:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-tamtam-save-the-tatas?qid=d0a6be4eeb38f7b62179d539824352df

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