Animal lovers and animal advocates are people. They might be dog people or crazy cat people, but they are people none the less. And sometimes people need other people. Our friend and one of Gypsy Dog Ops original supporters, Laura, needs your thoughts and prayers. She has been diagnosed with a very aggressive form of breast cancer. Laura is bravely participating in a FDA drug trial and blazing a trail towards a cure for all of us. She is responding well to this experimental treatment, but her journey is far from over.
If there is one thing that I have learned from animal rescue it is that a little hope, love, and caring can go a long, long way and that love often comes in unexpected forms. Many of you may remember that one of my coworker lovingly made beautiful handmade blankets for the rescued dog pack dogs last year. Her blankets comforted the sick street dogs and helped them transition to healthy trusting domestic house dogs.
So when Laura, who was very involved in the neighborhood dog pack shenanigans and has been one of Tasha and Number Two’s biggest advocates, was diagnosed, I asked my very caring friend and coworker to make Laura a blanket and she generously agreed. Her one condition was that I get the blanket blessed. It was a nondenominational request so the next question was where to have it blessed.
As luck would have it, I know a guy who knows a guy who sits on a council of Oak Cliff churches. And as fate would have it, their monthly meeting was the same week the blanket was ready. We had a menagerie of Ministers, Pastors, Priest and church leaders from all over Oak Cliff bless the blanket, pray for our neighbor, pray for a cure that could help all the people and families affected by breast cancer, and then they signed a card with thoughts of encouragement and support.
It never hurts to ask others to pray with you, so we sent the blanket around bible study class and we passed the card to neighbors and now we are sending the request to you.
Laura is not alone in her cancer journey, we all know someone who has been touched by breast cancer. This prayer is also for them: for resilient Miss Peg, for my inspiring friend Elaine and for Judy’s coworker Kathy who both just who just had their surgeries, in celebration of my cousin Karen marking 5 years breast cancer free, and of GDO’s friend Carlin for marking her 1st year cancer free, in honor of my beloved Cousin Edmée and her irreverent boob in a box, in honor of my faithful and eternally positive Miss Kathryn, and all the people and families who have been touched by this disease. All of these ladies have shown us how to face challenges with grace, strength, humor, and faith.We all know ladies like them…so say a prayer, share your thoughts, and share this post to get others to pray too. Pray for my friend, pray for your friends, pray for a cure, pray that this drug trial brings the hope and results we are all looking for.
And not to set a precedent to make a post on a dog page without at least ONE truly dog related item… to bring it all full circle, the guy that knows the guy that sits on the council of churches, he is a she and she is working with us to get animal related activities and education in their urban mission programs across South Dallas and Oak Cliff. Neighbors helping, connecting, and loving their neighbors, it’s why we love Oak Cliff…additional details soon. We’re going to need more blankets!
And tonight, hug, pet, or cuddle someone you love.