Climb For Cancer 2012 Challenge - Lyla Nsouli Foundation

For the last couple of days, I’ve been trying to think of how to start this post…I finally decided to let you in and share a few personal details…

When you’re a kid, you think that you own the world. You’re fierce and invincible!! Nothing and no one can stop you.. You have little knowledge of life and your limited experiences cannot make you understand how bad things can ever occur to you or your loved ones..

I was almost 6 yrs old when the first incident of illness occurred in my family. He was 4 and diagnosed with leukemia. Things moved rapidly after that.. A lot of pain, tons of medicine, broken arteries that couldn’t handle any more needles, a lot of sorrow, many whys…

Why would God take a child? Why?? What could he have done wrong? Why would He make him suffer such a great amount of pain?

I remember our last moments together. He was out of the hospital, but his health was very fragile. I stood out in the balcony, and he was on the inside, with a glass door among us…touching hands, connecting souls, telling to each other all those things that didn’t need words..

A few days later, an infection took him back to the hospital..He never returned home..But he always remains in our hearts and in our minds.. That was my cousin..more like a brother..

Almost 19 yrs later, illness strikes again.. After a routine check-up, my mum is diagnosed with breast cancer. I will never ever forget the moments I stood at the doc’s office..all alone, hearing the news..

I returned home and all I could think about was how on earth am I going to tell her? I was trying to hide it sooo badly, but I know she could just feel the vibes and see in my eyes all those things that my mouth couldn’t say..

She had a mastectomy, and did 5 yrs of hormone therapy. She was of the lucky ones..

You’ll probably wonder by now, why the hell is she telling us all these things?? Does she really wanna just ruin our day?? No…that is surely not my intention..

I’m just trying to make you understand that cancer can knock on anyone’s door.. When you least expect it.. At whatever age.. No matter how healthy you are.. No matter how much life you have inside your soul.. No matter how strong your spirit is.. No matter how much positive energy you give to the universe..

At the times that my mum was sick, I found great relief and inspiration through volunteer groups who stood by people who were fighting cancer. Words cannot really describe how much I owe to them..

Ever since, I’ve become an active volunteer myself. Other times through donations, other through personal time and effort. Why do I do it? Through the years, and my personal life experiences, I’ve grown to understand that in the end we aren’t gonna be judged by the knowledge we have, and the money we have, and the car we possess, and the house we own, and the fancy clothes we wear. We are gonna be judged by the amount of love, of respect, of compassion, of kindness we give to others. Developing our determination, we will learn that it is in giving that we truly receive.

In my personal journey of contributing to humanity, I’ve been truly blessed and utterly honored to have met a man with a heart full of grace, with a soul generated by love. A young man with vision, with dreams, with greatness, thoroughly devoted to the happiness of others. Looking at him, you can see a certain strength of character and an unshakable resolve.
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." is one of the quotes that I think characterizes him completely..

Driven by his love for the outdoors and adventure and his eagerness to help others, Nizar Fakhoury, a 31 year old Lebanese, founded “Climb For Cancer” - a non-profit organization, based in Dubai, UAE. They encourage amateur hikers, climbers and adventure enthusiasts to climb mountain peaks around the world in an effort to raise money for children suffering from cancer. The climbers fund their own trips and are responsible for covering all their personal costs themselves including tickets, equipment and hiking expenses. This ensures that 100% of the donations raised goes towards the treatment of cancer patients who are being supported.

In 2010, they trekked to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, in support of 2 children suffering from cancer.

In 2011, they trekked to Everest Base Camp and climbed Island Peak in Nepal, in support of 5 children suffering from cancer.

This year, they will be climbing to the summit of Mt. Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, in order to raise funds for the Lyla Nsouli Foundation for Children’s Brain Cancer Research, in honor of Lyla Nadim Nsouli,  a gorgeous 3 year old angel, who passed away from DIPG brain cancer on January 24, 2012.

Please take a minute to visit their “Climb for Cancer” fundraising page.

www.justgiving.com/cfcc

Remember that no donation is a small one. Even a dollar can make a difference. But, even if you don’t want to, or aren’t able to donate, please share and spread the word.

Take some time to also visit Lyla Nsouli Foundation’s webpage : http://www.lylansoulifoundation.org/


And Climb for Cancer's Facebook Page : http://www.facebook.com/climbforcancer/

“From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.”

Thank you all so very much!!

xoxo

B.