On my first day of chemo I was terrified. I didn’t know what it would feel like? I had worked it up so much in my head that I was positive it would feel like acid running through my veins. I tried as hard as I could to keep a smile on my face but there was no hiding it…I was scared. As I waited for it to start…a million thoughts ran through my head. Why me? What’s next? When would my hair fall out? What would I look like bald? Would Gary think I was pretty? My mind was going a million miles a minute. I snapped out of it as soon as my best friend, Sidne, pulled out a box. I stared at her wondering why she was handing me a present…but then I realized it was a chemo present. Which immediately took me from feeling sorry for myself to feeling very excited that I was getting gifts!
As I opened the box I saw the royal blue glitter gleaming back at me. I pulled the shoes out of the box and immediately started laughing. Hard. I was holding a pair of 5-inch, bright blue, glittery, spike covered heels that little did I know…would become my chemo shoes. From that day on, I wore those shoes to every single treatment…without fail. I would strut to the bathroom when I was feeling extra adventurous and as the weeks of treatment went by…something funny happened. When I thought about chemo I didn’t think about the sickness. Or the needles or the fact that I was bald. I thought about those shoes. And chemo went from being something I dreaded…to the day that I got to wear my chemo shoes.
As my treatment ended and those shoes found a home in the back of my closet…something inside me knew the story couldn’t end there. Over time, Sid and I tossed around ideas of how we could continue the story of the Chemo Shoes. And then one day it clicked. The stars aligned and we decided to create a line of seriously kick-ass shoes for women fighting cancer. These shoes are the light at the end of the tunnel. The little piece of sunshine on a cloudy day. And that little bit of hope that is sometimes so desperately needed.
And after hundred and hundreds and hundreds of hours of really hard work…Healing Heels was born. We have poured our heart and soul into this idea and know deep down in the pit of our stomachs that is has the potential to change so many lives. I envision cancer centers everywhere with crazy high-heels lining their chairs. And I know that together we can make this dream a reality. But all great ideas take funding and we would be so incredibly honored if you would help us bring this idea to life. Today marks day 1 of our Kickstarter. For the next month we will be working towards a goal of putting our Healing Heels into production so women everywhere can literally, kick ass. I believe in this with all my heart…and I can’t thank you enough for believing in it too.
And to anyone who says a pair of shoes can’t change the world…think again. Because they sure changed mine.
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by laurenwakefield
[…] Photo Credit courtesy of Lauren Wakefield […]