Shave for the Brave News

Your daily dose of inspiration

Posted on Aug 31, 2009

~ Be the change you wish to see in the world ~ 
                                    Gandhi

Although this quote can be used often in the non-profit world – I love what it says.  Luckily, in my job, I get to interact daily with individuals whose lives personify this quote.  Whether it be my fabulous co-workers, one of our young adult survivor friends, or one of our generous donors – I get to see the good in so many people.  Today, I will share the story of one of these wonderful groups of people whose kind and generous actions are admirable and inspirational, and definitely worth sharing.

A couple of months back, I received an email from Nathalie in Edmonton.  She shared with me that she had a friend who had been diagnosed with cancer, and was facing one of chemotherapy’s side effects, hair loss.  Nathalie reported that her friend was devastated with the prospect of losing her hair, on top of dealing with everything that accompanied her cancer diagnosis.  What Nathalie said next particularly struck me, “I want to show her that beauty is not on the outside, but on the inside, and that hair does not make the person.”  Now, although this is something that all of us have been told, and even truly believe, few of us take it to the next step.  Nathalie then said that she intended to shave her head, and raise money for Young Adult Cancer Canada in the process.  She even recruited two other co-workers, François and Bertha, to join her in shaving their heads and raising funds for Young Adult Cancer Canada. 

Well, the big day was July 27th and, true to their word, Nathalie, Francois and Bertha shaved their heads.  In addition to showing their friend the meaning of true beauty, they also raised over $3,000 for Young Adult Cancer Canada – very impressive indeed!  So, on behalf of the Young Adult Cancer Canada team, I extend a world of thanks to Nathalie, François, and Bertha, for their willingness to raise funds to assist young adults with cancer in Canada, for their compassionate support of their friend, and, above all, for their bold act of inspiration.