As I sit here and think about someone who is special to me, I can only think of one person. I would like to honor my cousin Kristy; as she showed me the true meaning of life. Kristy and I were exactly alike growing up—we were into the same things, sports, activities, family, etc. She was the biggest humanitarian. She volunteered at Creedmore Psychiatric and AHRC because she liked helping people. Kristy was very into the community ever since she was a young kid. If anyone could help you with anything it was her. She had a passion for people that didn’t go unrecognized. She fought for everything from her grades in school, to games and in the end, her life.
Kristy was diagnosed with Melanoma when she was 19. It was found by a mole on her back which had spread to her lungs. Kristy never let her illness get the best of her. She lived her life to the fullest. She often didn’t tell people she was sick because she didn’t want their sympathy. Kristy wanted to be treated as everyone else would…as if she were healthy. Kristy’s mole was removed and she underwent radiation and Kristy was cancer free for 2 years. She continued on to work towards her Bachelors degree at St. Johns University and had just been accepted into graduate school. However in August of Kristy’s senior year her cancer returned. This time, her outlook wasn’t so good yet Kristy managed to still live her life like she was just like everybody else. The cancer was not only on her lungs, but had spread to her brain. She now had 2 tumors. Although Kristy knew she only had a limited time left, she never let it affect her. She literally lived life fully until the day that she died. Kristy still attended her classes at St. Johns, she still coached her volleyball team, still volunteered at Creedmore and AHRC and most importantly still spent time with her family laughing and sharing memories. She honestly loved each one of the girls on her volleyball team. Even after the season was finished, she took time to go to their school games and watch them play. The girls looked up to her as more than a coach but rather as a dear friend. That was the way she was, always making lasting impressions. Nobody knew how much time she had left yet she made the best of it.
Right before Thanksgiving of 2000, Kristy went to the back doctor about a plan of action for the tumors and he basically gave her 2 options. He told her the status of where she was at. She could either just wait it out or try steroid injections. The catch with the injections was that they weren’t legal yet in the US but they were in Germany. If she agreed to do these injections, there was a chance they were going to work…and a chance they weren’t. Kristy being the optimist she was chose to go to Germany…fully knowing there was a chance they wouldn’t work. Kristy left for Germany accompanied by her boyfriend and her mom. Kristy’s chances for survival took a turn for the worse on the plane ride over the tumors grew larger and quicker than the doctors had thought due to the altitude of the plane. Kristy was put in the hospital right away. Kristy never made it to receive her first set on injections. She succumbed to her illness before her first treatment.
The one thing, though, which truly identified who Kristy Lyn was, is the courage that she possessed throughout her battle with melanoma. She never let the disease get the best of her. She always kept her chin up and accepted anything that life threw at her. Through her lung surgery and radiation, she continued to show that incredible smile that she was blessed with. She even showed that smile while on the way to Germany, hoping that she would return cancer-free. Unfortunately, that wasn't what God had planned for her. In Germany, despite her increasing pain she was still thankful to the doctors and nurses for their help. Most importantly, she put all her hopes, dreams and faith in Padre Pio, that he would make everything O.K. Right up to the last day, she held his relic and prayed to him in Italian because maybe he would understand her if she spoke in his language.
Although God may not have given her the gift of life and health, God did manage to give her a gift of knowing that she was going to die. The night before she died, she told her mother and boyfriend everything that they already knew: that she loves them very much and that she is thankful for them being a big part of her life. Since learning of the news that the melanoma had returned, it had given her a new perspective on life. She noticed that there are so many people in this world who concern themselves with such minor issues and take their health, family and life for granted.
Kristy changed me. Everything she was, I became after she passed away. I took over for her and picked up where she left off. The impact she had on me was amazing. In early 2006 I saw a flyer for a fundraiser called St. Baldricks. I decided to look into it and realized it was a fundraiser to raise money for childhood cancer research. My heart instantly told me to get involved. At that moment, I made the decision to do the fundraiser. I was going to shave my head in support of finding a cure to the disease that took my cousins life.
In 2007 I did the boldest thing a woman could ever do- I went bald. That year, I raised over $3,000 (thank you to everyone who donated and came to support) and I shaved my head. I did it in honor of Kristy. I know for a fact that if the roles were reversed, she would be there doing it for me in a heartbeat. That’s the kind of person she was. But I did it for many reasons. I did it for Kristy- to honor and to thank her for showing me that there are more important things in life than how you look. I did it for the 40 kids that we honored that day to show they are not alone in their fight and I did it for all the women out there—to show that bald IS beautiful. I couldn’t think of a better way to payback Kristy for really showing me the meaning of life. She is my idol, my role model and most importantly she’s forever a piece of my heart.
I decided to re-shave my head in 2008 to continue to show my support for this amazing cause. In the 2 years that I participated, I raised over $7,000 to help find a cure to kid’s cancer.
The attached is a picture of me with Kristy’s picture as a child being honored at St. Baldricks 2008.
After all, I do make bald look good
