I met Sandra when I was in high school; we lived in the same southern California town. She has always been the most loving and loyal friend to me, we often joke and tell one another we’re soul mates.
When we finally had kids of our own Sandra found herself a mother of two. I remember when I got the phone call; it was December 20, 2008. Sandra told me “Kayla has leukemia.” I thought she was joking but no Kayla was diagnosed with ALL. I was shocked at how fast it all happened, we had just been gabbing days prior about our very mundane homes. Just 2 days before that they had also found out that Sandra’s husband Jimmy had a massive tumor in his chest that we would later find out was Hodgkins Lymphoma.
Since fighting both ALL and Hodgkins Lymphoma Kayla and Jimmy are finally starting to live a somewhat normal life. Sandra’s fears are not so much about hospitals and medicine, steroids, and radiation. Sandra has now dedicated her time to raising awareness for childhood cancer charities.
Her passion brought her to the 46 Mommas, where last month she shaved her head to raise money for her chosen charity. The number 46 is important because that is the number of families who each day finds out their child has cancer. Shaving her head has accomplished just what Sandra Gronley had hoped it would. Everyone asks her why her head is shaved and it gives her a chance to tell her story, and symbolically it proves that they have overcome. Sandra will continue to fight for more cancer research for pediatric cancers.
This is why she is my Yahoo! Woman Who Shine and as she continues to fight for pediatric cancer research I hope to continue supporting her along the way. You can submit your own nomination for the Yahoo! Women Who Shine now. What is unique about the Yahoo! Shine “Women Who Shine” is that these are ordinary women who are making a difference in the community they live in. My nominee is participating in local outreach right in the region she lives i. There are so many extraordinary women doing extraordinary things and it’s a great way to highlight their achievements.
Sandra will continue to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation through the end of the year and if she were to win she’d be giving a portion of this money to her favorite charity. To make a donation, visit 46mommas.com, click on “Mommas and Kids,” then click on “Class of 2012” and scroll down to Sandra Gronley.
Please take one moment to vote for my nominee!
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It is so inspiring to see a woman who’s family has been given so many challenges take them on with such determination to make a difference.
What an amazing woman (and mother, wife and friend)! If she’s not a woman who shines, I’m not sure who is. Thanks for sharing her family’s story a little further!
Your friend Sandra is such a brave and wonderful woman. I wish her luck because she is really a woman who shines!