Last October during breast cancer awareness month, I had the opportunity to support one of the amazing women/families I'm blessed to know here in Charlotte. Kristi Kramer has been battling Stage IV triple negative metastatic breast cancer for years now. There is no cure for this kind of breast cancer. Her treatments will continue until she is called home to the Lord. She is an inspiration of faith, long suffering, and perseverance in the face of adversity.
Kristi's husband, Scott, and son, Colton, were our home teachers while in the Monroe ward, so their family has a special place in our hearts. Last fall Kristi asked on Facebook about how to go about participating in a flash mob, one of the things on her bucket list. As the months progressed, her treatments rendered her unable to participate. Some amazing women rallied around her, and put together a surprise flash mob in her honor.
We danced to Michael Jackson's "Beat It" in the parking lot near the place where participants of Avon's two-day breast cancer awareness walk/run in uptown Charlotte were stopping to eat lunch.
We danced the original dance steps from the music video. I practiced and practiced late at night after the kids went to bed, and we even held some group practices the week of the event, where we all brought kids to play at a dear friend's home, while many of us practiced.
I invited my friend, Krista Carpenter, a former co-worker from my PBS&J/Atkins days, to join us. Unbeknownst to me, my friends April Moore and Natalie Gleaves from the Monroe ward were participating also.
It was a great way to spend a Saturday morning.
Not only did I do it for Kristi, I also did it for the many women in my life who have battled breast cancer. I've not been able to be there to support them as I'd have liked to, due to distance, and so this was one way I felt I could honor their battles.
To this day Kristi remains a fighter. For several months I was blessed with the opportunity to clean her bathroom in her home once a week. Then my boys kept getting sick repeatedly, and I had to stop going so as not to expose her to any other illnesses. Now this sweet lady and her family are moving to Columbia, SC for a new job for Scott. We sure are going to miss them. I'm thankful for social media that allows us to keep in touch.
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