When my sister Charna was 30 Years old her life was full and complete. She worked around the clock at a New York law firm, and in her spare time she enjoyed dating, traveling, shopping and attending charity functions.
Suddenly her life and the lives of her entire family changed when she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Because this is a disease which typically afflicts males over fifty, she was misdiagnosed and told by doctors that she had internal hemorrhoids. Charna was not given a colonoscopy, and it was more than likely that this test would have detected her cancer in its early stages and saved her life. (It is my fervent wish that each of you consult with your doctor about when to have this test.)
At that time, Charna’s life spiraled out of control. Our entire family felt helpless. The next eight years of her life became a series of tests, treatments and surgeries. Instead of a normal and happy life Charna’s days consisted of hospitals, doctors and pain. All who knew and loved her spent long hours on the internet searching websites for help, alternative treatments and a possible cure.
Charna’s life soon became a roller coaster alternating between highs and lows. During the highs she did the things she loved such as traveling, going to the theater and dinner and spending precious time with friends. It was these wonderful times that inspired her to maintain her spirit and to fight to go on living.
As time passed, doctors offered her little hope but Charna refused to give in. She traveled to Europe for alternative treatments, and when her health allowed she went to places she had only dreamed of visiting. She also enjoyed hiking, skiing, mountain biking and yoga. While on a trip to Arizona, Charna’s health began to deteriorate, and she required constant oxygen. Fortunately, she was able to charter an air ambulance which provided her with many comforts making her trip home more comfortable. It was during this trip Charna decided that her last mission in life was to provide those less fortunate with a “Gift of Sunshine.” Charna wanted people with a terminal illness to enjoy a good day and to feel like a person and not a patient. She wanted to change a person’s sense of despair into hope.
Please help our family keep Charna’s legacy alive. The Sunshine Fund provides patients and their families with funds to fulfill a wish to travel, to send a child to camp or to bring a little luxury into their lives. It was Charna’s belief that feelings of happiness brought back moments of dignity which patients may have deemed lost forever. Most of all, she wanted to give these patients and their families hope. Hope is a Gift of Sunshine.
Thank you for your help and support,
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