Corrine StokoeI bet you didn't know that September is Childhood (Pediatric) Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM)! You may have seen it in my Insta Stories, but a little girl in our community was recently diagnosed with cancer. Lynden is the sweetest little seven-year-old, and she's Ani's age! Since finding out about Lynden's diagnosis, her mom, Amanda, has been working tirelessly to educate the masses on how little we know about pediatric cancers AND how little funding pediatric cancer research has!
You guys, not even FOUR PERCENT of the nation's cancer research funding goes to pediatric cancer research! But pediatric cancer is the #1 killer of kids under the age of 14. These stats BLOW MY MIND!!
Since getting her diagnosis, Lynden, her friends, and her family have been making lotus flower bracelets (like the ones I'm wearing below) to raise money for childhood cancer research. Not for Lynden or for Lynden's treatment, but for childhood cancer research. #superhero. Over the last couple months they have raised OVER $28,000! You can follow Lynden's mom on Instagram to find out when they're opening orders again for these bracelets that 100% of the proceeds go to pediatric cancer research, or you can help out RIGHT NOW by donating the supplies they need to make the bracelets in Lynden's mom's link in profile.
I desperately wanted to do something special for Lynden and her family to help ease this trying time in their lives. Amanda, Lynden's mom, mentioned that if Lynden could come home from a round of chemo to a redecorated bedroom that it would be a total dream come true! Lynden has been dying to have a loft bed and I thought, “what are the chances there is a loft bed on Facebook Marketplace?”
Facebook Marketplace is for deal lovers
Facebook Marketplace is the new kid on the block when it comes to saving money while buying everyday things! It's no longer a place for people to just buy/sell/trade used items. You can actually buy brand new or refurbished items from super reputable vendors, for insanely great prices! Facebook Marketplace has become such an easy, fast and affordable tool for me to utilize when I shop online.
Loft Bed
Amanda mentioned that her home tends to be more modern in style, so I was on the hunt for a loft bed with clean, simple lines. Because you can buy brand new items on Facebook Marketplace I was crossing my fingers that I would be able to find a shiny new, perfect-for-Lynden loft bed. You guys, the EXACT loft bed I had in my mind was right there on Marketplace! I was ecstatic to get this bed as the starting point to Lynden’s new bedroom, and for a whole lot less than I was seeing it at other retailers.
Yoga Mat
Lynden LOVES yoga! It’s one of the few things she can do outside with her friends while her immune system is down during chemo treatments. We got her a brand new yoga mat of her very own to keep in her room! We absolutely love the idea of her doing Happy Baby, Tree, and Warrior poses in the area underneath her special bed!
Amazon Echo
Facebook Marketplace also had an AMAZING deal on Amazon Echo devices! According to her mom, Lynden always asks to take the household Echo into her room so I thought this would be a perfect BONUS surprise to include in her bedroom makeover! Between Amazon Storytime, Audible and music, Lynden will have plenty to listen to while she rests and recovers in her brand new bedroom!
Amazon Echo
Yoga mat
White Twin study loft
Photos by Arielle Levy
Stay tuned for the full reveal
Stay tuned because TOMORROW we’ve got a more detailed post on how we decorated Lynden’s dreamy new bedroom, plus details on the whole big REVEAL!! We can’t wait to show you (and LYNDEN!!) what we dreamed up for her!
Big thanks to Facebook Marketplace and ShopStyle for generously sponsoring this post. When they found out what we were up to with giving Lynden a dream room makeover, they immediately increased the budget to cover the full cost of her bed and the other small gifts from Facebook Marketplace. So thankful to work with amazing sponsors who support Childhood Cancer Awareness Month!
