There are some events that really knock the wind out of your sails. These are things you really don't expect to happen, and when they do, the whole world looks different.
Monday evening I had a message from my mum on Twitter saying she needed to speak to me and asked when I would be home from work. I didn't panic, but I was concerned that something had happened to one of my grandmothers or my dad. What I didn't expect was for her to tell me that my youngest sister has breast cancer.
I have three sisters, all of them as unusual and unique as I am. Erin is the youngest only by one minute, being a twin and being unlucky enough not to have been the first one grabbed by the doctor during the Caesarean. She is now 35 and happily married to Firefighter Kevin for fifteen years, and they have the honour of being the parents of my two nieces and one of my nephews. Both are active and very popular in their local community in rural Texas.
I know it was my choice to move 5,000 miles away from Texas, where I was born and raised, but at times like this it hits me hard that I'm not there when my family needs me. Of course I'm needed here too. I have two sons I'm raising with my ex-husband, a good career in law and a fantastic partner. But those things don't alleviate the feeling of helplessness, so today I came up with my "special project".
My mum commented that one of the things that Erin is worried about is losing her gorgeous long hair after she starts chemotherapy next Monday. She has already had her hair cut much shorter, but it's unfortunately one of those things that she has to come. I haven't told her that two of my work collegues have said they each had a friend who lost her hair during chemotherapy which grew back lovely and curly afterwards!
I have very long hair too. Very long, very very thick hair. Hair that grows unbelievably quickly. I decided to research and then carry out my "Hair Growth Challenge".
Over the next twelve months, I am going to let my hair grow and grow and grow, going to the hairdresser for conditioning and maintenance but no more chopping. I will publish pictures and see what other ideas I can come up with to publicise and raise money for Cancer Research UK, a charity which raises money for breast cancer research. We never know which loved one will be affected by breast cancer. It could be my friend, my mother, another sister or myself. It could be female or male. I want to do my part to make sure that no one has to go through what my sister is going through now.
Donations can be made via the link in the right hand column on this page. They can be a one-off donation or, as my partner David has done, an amount per inch that my hair grows in the next year.
But please keep checking back!
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