Breast Cancer Research - Susan G Komen

In exactly 6 weeks, we've gotten to $10,000!!! Thank you SO much for all your help and support!!! I seriously had NO idea that I would get to $10k... but here it is! $10k for my mom's 10 years of cancer. My cousin Ginnie will now officially be shaving her head, too! (though, she lives in SC so we won't be shaving it together).

As you all know I'll be shaving my head the 27th!! Location is in the middle of being figured out... but it will be in Westfield!

Also, if you still wish to donate, I will continue to accept and send in all donations for as long as people keep sending them!! The more we end up raising, the better it is :)

Thank you all!! <3

As of Monday, which was exactly 4 weeks after I started this fundraiser, we successfully raised $5,000!!!!! So my head will officially be shaved!! :) :) :) Thank you ALL so much for your support!!

My ultimate goal, as most of you know, is $10,000 for my mom's 10 years with Breast Cancer. As of today (Sunday), I've raised $7,475!!

If I can find 101 people willing to donate $25 each, we'll have reached $10,000!!! :D

(for the original post regarding my mom's story, why, and what I'm doing, please scroll down to the next post!)

Hi everyone!! I just wanted to thank you all SO much for your support, for spreading the word, and for your generous donations! As of now, we are $9 away from $2,300 being raised!! :)

I wanted to post the most recent update here along with additional information.

UPDATE: I knew I wanted to donate, but I didn't know how much I should give. So starting with the first donation after the donation that broke $2,000 on Sunday, for every donation between $1-$49, I will donate $1, between $50-$99, I will donate $2, and $100 +, I will donate $3!

MORE INFORMATION / FAQ:

Where can I donate?
-You can donate several ways:
1) by donating online through Chip-In
2) handing me or anyone in my family the donation
3) mailing it to my college address:
Emily Tebbetts
#245 780 Columbus
Boston, MA
02120
or,
4) mailing it to or dropping it off at my house in Westfield, NJ.
If you are from Westfield and would like to request my address, please email me at emilytebbetts@comcast.net and I will send it to you privately!

Who should I make the check out to? Do you accept cash?
- Yes, I do accept cash!
- You can either make the check out to me (Emily Tebbetts) or to the Susan G Komen Foundation.

There are two important things to consider here:

For smaller donations, like under $25, I suggest that you make out the check to me, so I can compile them and send one large check. However, for larger donations, I suggest making it out to SGK with "Emily Tebbetts Fundraiser" in the subject line in case you want to get a tax credit for it. I will collect these checks and send them alongside the large, compiled check I will write on the Saturday, Nov 27 (the day I shave my head).

However! If you make a donation and want the check to be cashed quickly, please make the check out to ME, and enclose a note asking me to do so! I will deposit it in my bank account and take it back out in cash to put in the donation envelope I am keeping.

How else can I help?
-Spreading the word is always extremely helpful! Tell your friends, family, or spread the word around in your community!

-If you'd like to suggest a fundraising idea, or offer your help with a potential fundraiser, please feel free to let me know! :) You can contact me at emilytebbetts@comcast.net

Do you have a Facebook Page that I can suggest to friends?
- Yes! I created a Facebook Page (which includes additional information) specifically for this fundraiser. Here's the shortened link: http://tinyurl.com/emilygoesbald

Thank you all!! :)

What I'm doing:
I pledge to shave my head publicly on Thanksgiving weekend if I am able to raise $5,000 towards finding new medications and a cure for Breast Cancer. The money will be donated to the Susan G Komen Foundation, and my hair will be donated to Locks of Love.

Why I'm doing it:

Two reasons:
1) As many of you probably know, my mom has battled breast cancer for the past 10 years. It’s gone to her breast several times, then she had kidney cancer (which has not come back), then the breast cancer spread to her liver, it’s been in her brain several times— 3 or 4 separate times with multiple tumors by now, but I’ve lost track—and this past summer (and now), in her brain and in her spine, which lead to her losing some control in her legs and feet. It was decided several years ago that she would be on chemo once a week for the rest of her life. The chemo she was on for awhile badly and permanently damaged her heart, making it difficult for her to walk up stairs or walk without getting tired quickly. She’s gone through tons of surgery, different types of chemo, a few radiation sessions, and cyberknife, which is concentrated radiation. She’s gone bald and re-grown hair tons of times throughout all of this.

I’ve always thought about shaving my head in support of my mom and all the other people fighting breast (and other types of) cancer. I’m scared as hell to do it though. My hair has always been one of my favorite and most complimented features, and I am scared of how my looks and peoples' first impressions of me will change, so I've always held off.

Now that October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month) has come around again, and my mom's 10 year anniversary of her original diagnosis is coming up, I've decided to finally do it. To make it worth something more and to make it a challenge to myself, it's become very important to me to raise a significant amount of money for Breast Cancer research... and that's why I'm doing this!

2) Chemotherapy only works for a certain amount of time before you need to switch medicines. New medicines are coming out all the time, due to research, and this is literally what has kept my mom alive this whole time. Though Breast Cancer research is ultimately working towards a cure, these smaller but extremely significant breakthroughs are what keep patients alive. Since people all react to chemo differently, the more chemos there are, the more of a chance there is that the patients will be able to find one that doesn't affect their bodies too badly and lets them enjoy an almost-normal life. Consider your donation to Breast Cancer research an investment in the lives and comfort of you and your loved ones. It's horribly unfortunate, but it's very likely that either you or someone you love will eventually be diagnosed with Cancer. This investment helps ensure that it won't be something that ruins--or takes-- your or your loved ones' lives.

How you can help:
When I add up all of my followers on the various websites I have, I have 6,892 followers. And that's not including the 1,251 friends I have on Facebook. Though there is surely a good amount of overlap, I think it's safe to say that there are 5,000 people that follow my work or in some way know me. If every single person donated $1, we'd raise $5,000 with no problem. Obviously, not everyone is going to donate, so donations over $1 would be wonderful if you're willing and able!

Ways to donate:
-You can donate online through this Chip-In account, using a debit card, a credit card, or a paypal account.
-If you know me personally, you can either mail me a check, or drop off a check or cash at my house. If you know me and need a refresher on my address, just message me! :)

I would also really appreciate it if you helped spread the word to your friends, and, if you have an online following at all, spread it to your followers! That way, lots of small donations will add up quickly!

How you can follow the progress:

I'm planning to start a facebook group, where I'll include this de