Kathy Becklin
kathybecklin.com
sent from my iPhone
Darbee shows up at Keller Williams team meeting to receive KW cares check!
August 29-A Note from Darbee
Note from Kathy- The following is a note that Darbee sent out this morning to her fundraising team. I thought it was great and asked her if I could post. If you haven’t purchased tickets to the September 11 event, please do it today. Darbee needs to be focused on her health now and not worrying about tickets!
Hi all,
Yes, I have brain cancer…about the worst possible kind one could have but the real issue here is that I became physically disabled overnight and became totally dependent on others for my physical survival.. Last week, I thought of the analogy of Crocodile Dundee who landed in NYC from the Outback. That is similar to what I’m going through. I can go nowhere nor do anything on my own.
The nature and treatment of this cancer is different from other cancers such as breast cancer. I’ll make no judgment on better or worse…just different. The chemo for breast cancer may be more grueling but breast cancer is easier to cure than what I have.
If I were poor, and uninsured, without the support that I have, I would not have lasted until now, trust me! As it is, with under insurance, i am racking up many thousands of dollars a month…in prescriptions alone.
I had to wake dr. Bob up at 4 am because I experienced the worst focal seizure I’ve had to date. He held me,breathed through it with me, cried, and assured me that I was going to get through it. I did and I will talk with the doctor later this am about the seizure but this is a mystery to them as well as it is to me.
My “condition” brings up all kinds of issues..personal, cultural, societal and financial. As a former teacher, I’ve dealt with kids with disabilities in school and have witnessed what happens with adults who suddenly become disabled…too much to talk about here. There are handicapped people who can be a joy to work with and others who are an energy drain. My goal is to stay fun.
Because I don’t look that bad, I suppose, and because I have a good attitude, sometimes people expect me to deliver more than I can.I know I have been annoying at times to family and friends! They forget or just don’t appreciate my limitations because, thank god, they’ve never had a brain tumor.
As we are coming into the last 2 weeks of this fundraiser, and some of us are losing our enthusiasm, some are wondering if we’ve sold any tickets? Wondering if we’re going to pull this off, not feeling empowered to “sell this event”, tired from all the political campaigns and other fundraisers…please remember that the real issue is my instant physical disability caused by the cancerous brain tumor and the cost of dealing with it!, and part of my mission is to lead the way to hope and healing for us all.
Let’s please communicate well with each other and give each other energy to create a really successful event that we can pass on to the community!
The article in The Maui Weekly was great!….and I do hope to remain The Queen of your Hearts! It’s a big title to live up to.
KW Cares — Keller Williams Gives Back
Darbee is an active licensed agent with Keller Williams Realty Maui. KW Cares is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) public charity created to support Keller Williams Realty associates and their families in times of extreme hardship as a result of a sudden emergency. Our local KW Ohana, is working hard on our local fundraisers and working with KW Cares in hopes that KW Cares rewards a grant to Darbee to support living and medical expenses during this challenging time.
KW Cares is the heart of the Keller Williams Realty culture in action – finding and serving the higher purpose of business through charitable giving in the communities where our agents live and work. Although KW Cares is an official non-profit, they will not accept funds to be applied directly to any individual. Each office has goals to contribute yearly most of which comes from agents contributions at escrow closings. In addition, local offices are expected to do local fundraisers as we did this year raising money for the Maui Food Bank.
When applying for a grant, extensive financial, personal and medical records showing need are submitted. The local Keller Williams office ensures that the applicant is an active agent or direct family member. On the grant application, the local office must demonstrate that it has done it’s own fundraising for the cause. We have established a separate account for collecting contributions for Darbee under the name — The Queen of Our Hearts. The local KW office is monitoring this account to ensure that the information needed for a matching grant is available.
Your contributions through our The Queen of Our Hearts fundraising efforts are NOT tax-deductible but are considered gifts directly to Darbee and her family. The good news for Darbee is that any gift from an individual should not be taxable. Please consult with your CPA or IRS if you have questions.
We hope to be able to stretch your contributions further by getting a matching grant from KW Cares for Darbee. Read stories about how KW Cares has made a difference in lives.
Mahalo -- for considering a small donation to help with medical expenses.Cuddly Teddy Bear
I’ve never thought of myself as a Teddy Bear person until I received my stuffed toy from my CafePress store and I fell in love!
I own everything that is in my store. If I found a product in my store less than satisfactory, I take it out of the store! I am very happy with the quality of the merchandise, especially the cuddliest Teddy Bear I’ve ever met! What should I name this adorable bear?
Buy Mr. Cute and Cuddly and Help Darbee!
Graduation Bouquet
How could one find better or more fun friends than Barbara Kenrich and Pat Swatzell? Since I haven’t been able to walk with them, they often stop by my house at 7 or 8 am with pink treats for me! They delivered this beautiful “We Love You” balloon bouquet last Thursday morning,July 22 as they knew this was my 33rd and final radiation treatment to my brain. July 22 was my “graduation day’ at the Pacific Cancer Center.
A treasure from my friends
Who else could this be from
Finding my balloon bouguet
Sign Monsters
Last week, before the HUGE yard sale, my husband “dr. Bob” and his lovely assistant,Kathleen Hall made it there #1 priority to create effective signage for the Maui Meadows HUGE benefit yard sale. Using the flyer for the garage sale as his inspiration, dr. Bob created a 4′x8′ matching design. The success of this endeavor proves the success of his design.
The Sign Monsters
We Can Do It
Purple Truck!
the Happy Air Brush artist
Dr. Robert at work
Don’t Miss The Huge Garage Sale This Weekend!
All proceeds from the sale will go to benefit “The Queen of Our Hearts”. There have been some amazing advance donations so this is an event not to be missed. Send this link to friends and family using the “Sharing is Caring” links below.
If you can’t make the sale but would like to donate to help Darbee, you can make a donation through PayPal below.
Mahalo -- for considering a small donation to help with medical expenses.Let me know how you feel about these Hawaiian Heart Designs
Please vote for your favorite 5 designs. Would you be interested in being able to purchase greeting cards, postcards or posters of this image?
7: Under the Rainbow Heart
1: Beached Valentine
2: Tropical Heart
3: All My Loving
4: Stairway to My Heart
5: Honeymoon Hearts
6: Hawaiian Hearts
Let’s do it again my friends
When I asked our volunteers who distributed flyers through out the Maui Meadows neighborhood last week-end what they enjoyed most, the answer was that they met fun people, and that the neighbors were really happy that we are doing this. A renewed spirit of community is coming to Maui Meadows!
Jean presents Darbee with her June KW sales award
Jean Keating leads the gang
gathering materials for volunteers
Figuring out our assignments
Darbee shares a laugh with Maui Meadows neighbors, Karin Carlson and Tom Croly
Darbee receives her KW sales award for June 2010
There are many homes here in our beloved neighborhood and we have an additional Saturday of flyer distribution planned for the 17th. We have maps of those houses contacted and those who haven’t been seen yet. We have the supplies needed for those who want to spread the word. Please call Jean Keating at 280-9024 to volunteer.
Mahalo nui loa!
3 Steps vs. a Ramp!
Becoming physically disabled in a minute was crazy! I’ve been physically strong and flexible all my life. Then suddenly, I’m doing face plants on my front lawn. Lucky, I have thick grass and a well padded derriere! I never got hurt beyond scrapes and bruises and they are healing nicely. Thank you, immune system!
My husband, “dr. Bob”, was horrified, of course, witnessing me losing control of my body, as were other friends who witnessed the dives into the grass.
Initially, even with a cane and a walker, I could not enter or exist my own home without physical assistance from dr. Bob who taught me how to get up and down those 3 steps holding onto his arm with my left hand and using a cane on the other side.
This is when dr. Bob called our contractor friend, Chris Wetzell, and proposed building a handicapped accessible ramp up to our front door. Both dr. Bob and Chris are true artists. Chris has been remodelling his whole life with his Dad as his mentor. He’s been licensed since 2002 and has experience doing handicapped remodels. He’s our man!
Conferencing on the ramp
dr. Bob priming the ramp
Conferencing on the Ramp
Chris Wetzell, power man
Chris Wetzell with assistant, Rosalie Yaksic
Amazing angles, cuts and joins on the ramp
Darbee receives her KW sales award for June 2010
dr. Bob and Chris researched codes, designed, staked, poured a little concrete, and Chris cut some crazy angles to make a ramp that I can’t imagine being easier to use! We even used it as the meeting place for our volunteers, who distributed Yard Sale flyers in Maui Meadows last Saturday. How cool is that to be able to sit under the shade of the Plumeria tree on our ramp and have a meeting?
