HEARTWARMING STORY FROM THE CHIVE

Only five weeks ago, a fragile Chivette showed up at theCHIVE office for the first time. She hadn’t left her bed in a week. I remember talking to a defeated girl that day. After 6 rounds of chemo to treat Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Tamara Bordeaux had lost her insurance and confided in me that she’d lost the energy and motivation to move forward. Hope was giving way to emptiness.

Tamara’s best friend Amanda had organized a fundraiser at a local restaurant in San Clemente to help pay for Tamara’s next chemo treatment. 90 people had RSVP’d. Amanda asked if we could get Chive Nation behind the event? Yep. We published a last-minute story calling out for Chivers to meet us in San Clemente.

I remember pulling up to a sea of green. Hundreds of Chivers traveled from dozens of states to rally around Tamara and help raise money. Marines from nearby Camp Pendleton arrived in droves with wallets open.

Between Tamara’s charity website and the party, we raised over $40,000 for Tamara in just a few days. Tamara went in for her 7th round of chemo the day after her fundraiser.

So much has changed in 5 weeks…

On Saturday, Tamara stopped by theCHIVE to personally deliver some amazing news.

She has just received some news from her doctor. After her last round of chemo they were unable to detect any living cancer cells in her body. Tamara is cancer free!

For the first few minutes we had no idea about the big news. But she filled us in one by one…

Tamara told me, “Without my Chive family, I couldn’t have gotten through this. I’ve never felt this good, I’ve never been so optimistic. I’m going to live. So I think… I think we should have a beer now.”

 

Done.

 

There is still work to be done, Tamara is not out of the woods. She must complete 2 more rounds of chemo and a radiation treatment – plus a final bone marrow test to ensure the cancer hasn’t moved into her bones. But for now, the runway is clear and the once-defeated girl is all smiles. The future has never looked so bright. You’re our girl, Tamara. 

You can still donate to Tamara right here. Also, Tamara just started a Twitter Machine!

Today begins Random Acts of Kindness Week here at theCHIVE. We’re going to need your help tomorrow with a very special young boy who desperately needs our help. It will end with the massive fundraiser on Saturday in Phoenix to benefit the families of the fallen Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighters. 

It’s going to be a good week. Stay tuned.

http://thechive.com/2013/07/22/tamara-arrives-at-thechive-to-deliver-some-amazing-news-6-hq-photos/