A Single Mother's Journey To Remission
Rhonda Grimm and her two young boys fight advanced breast cancer
Being a single mom is one of the toughest jobs in the world! In so many ways, a single mother is expected to uphold an impossible ideal: be strong yet gentle, corrective yet appeasing, accepting yet uncritical, self-sacrificial yet self-fulfilled.
A single mother runs the show in her household. She plays the role of the mother and the father for her children. She tries hard to divide her time to fulfill all her duties as a mother & a working woman. She strives to give the best to her children & also bring the best out of them; all single handedly!
A single mother carries an enormous load of responsibility. She nourishes, she nurtures, she teaches, she counsels, she disciplines, she shelters, she protects and she provides. She is on call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week! Sleep? What is sleep?
A single mom is the family time keeper, the taxi, bus driver and chauffeur - school, practice, games, birthday parties, music lessons, friends house- whatever it takes to get her children where they need to be!
She's the head chef, maid, dishwasher, bookkeeper and financial planner. She's a nurse, handyman, gardener and depending on how big the issue, a mechanic. She's a cheerleader, at every game, rain or shine, win or lose. She's the advocate and referee in all sibling rivalry disputes!
She's the soothing of the soul and healer of the heart. She's the light at the end of the tunnel in the wake of a storm. She's to the rescue, no matter what the cause. She is a super hero!
Although over worked and underpaid, she doesn't complain. She knows her children are counting on her & taking care of them is the most important & satisfying job on earth!
I think most women would agree, being a single mom isn't easy! Throw in the challenges of a cancer diagnosis on top of that & you are now facing what many would call an almost impossible feat!
The single mother I described above is Rhonda Grimm. She has devoted her life to raising her two sons, Dawson and Tyson. She was recently diagnosed with an advanced stage of breast cancer. At 32, that's the last thing you expect to hear from your doctor, "you have cancer"! Nothing in the world can prepare you for that moment.
Shock, confusion & disbelief, is how Rhonda described her reaction after hearing the devastating news. It's almost as if time stood still. Your mind is racing a million miles a minute, so many questions & emotions you're trying to process all at once. Why me? How is this possible? How am I going to tell my kids & how are they going to react? How am I going to be able to take care of them?
She returned home trying to make sense of it all. Thinking about her boys the entire ride home & how much she loved them. Telling herself "I have to be here to watch them grow up, learn to drive, graduate high school, head off to college, get married & start a family of their own!" The boys are her everything, the center of her universe! Those thoughts brought her to tears! The thought of not being here for them was to much to bare. In the midst of her weeping she began to pray & ask God to give her the strength to get through this. After consoling with family & friends, she knew what she needed to do! Prepare for battle! She knows she's in for the biggest fight of her life & her children provide her with the motivation she needs! Armed with her trust & faith in God, along with a support group of extraordinary people, she's determined to face this disease head on & conquer it! We believe that God is bigger than any problem she's up against & He has good plans for Rhonda's life & a beautiful future!
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you the future you hope for". (Jeremiah 29:11)
Rhonda's motto has always been, "I Got This"! Just goes to show you what a strong, independent woman she truly is. She is so used to handling all of life's little curve balls on her own & has learned to make the best out of any situation with a smile on her face. Always there to lend a helping hand any way she can while still managing a balanced family life at home. If you ask anyone that knows her, they will tell you what an amazing woman she is, she radiates beauty inside & out! She's got the biggest heart & has touched so many lives with her positive attitude, & vibrant personality. What I admire about Rhonda is that she has always been the role model that her children can depend on & look up to. Someone who despite the issues she's facing, remains to be an emblem of a good mother!
As she works to keep her life as normal as possible for her boys, some of her family & friends have come together to show their support & rally around her to let her know, "We Got This", & she's not alone! Whatever she has need of, "We Got This"! We are raising money to help Rhonda with some of the financial burdens that come with fighting cancer. As she goes through the challenges of cancer treatment, we don't want her to worry about anything except fighting this disease & kicking cancers butt!
There is a benefit for Rhonda, which is called, 'WE GOT THIS' scheduled for April 20, 2013 at the Red Fox in Cuyahoga Falls from 12-4. All donations & proceeds are tax deductible & go directly towards helping Rhonda with the medical expenses, new wigs & any other financial need she may be facing. There will be food, a bake sale, several different raffles, a silent auction & more. I am a firm believer that there's strength in numbers. When people come together with a common goal, we can achieve change & make a difference. This is just the beginning!
Rhonda is humbled & extremely grateful by the outpouring of love & willingness of others that have reached out to help. It is, she emphasized, like a breath of fresh air in her life & yet another reason to look at the positives rather than the negatives involved with battling breast cancer.
I pray that you would consider making a donation of any amount to help this incredible woman through her journey to remission! Thank you all so much & God Bless!
Make a donation in care of Rhonda. Totals are updated on the "Who are we helping" page.
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