Survivor Palau brought me many things but the best thing it did was bring me a love of my life.
February 27th, 2015, Jennifer Lyon would have been turning 43. My friendship with her and the impact she made on my life will forever be etched into my soul. I am by nature a glass half full person. I try to see the bright side in almost everything but with the death of a loved one it can be hard to do. I try as a fighter to never to stop. Jennifer’s main objective when she passed was to raise breast cancer awareness to those with implants because it is hard to self check. If you have implants please go to the doctor and be your own advocate. You are welcome Jenn!
A few years ago on my 40th Birthday we did a fundraiser here in Tyler, Texas, in Jennifer’s honor and raised over $14,000 for a local cancer center by putting on a variety show. The money went to help the patients in need with simple things like rides to chemo, food or treatment. It was a sold out show! I knew then, that I would continue to do something to help with awareness and to keep Jenn’s memory alive. I planned a smaller event this year but life happens and plans changed. I decided to switch gears and get personal with you…my friends. My daughter Janu and I shot this film instead, Janu even helped write the story.
On Jenn’s 43rd birthday I want to tell a new story.
This story is about Jenn’s 17 year old nephew Tyler Lyon. Jenn never had children of her own, so her two nephews were always close to her. He came with the rest of her family to our event two years ago. He has since worked hard on his own to start his own non-profit https://bcafdn.wordpress.com. You see his family not only lost Jenny in 2010 (as the family called her) but Tyler lost his mom Jami to brain cancer a few years before. I know reading this it sounds heartbreaking but Tyler is a fighter too. During the process of working with Tyler on this project he was also diagnosed with Marfans the day before Jenny’s birthday. I asked him if he wanted to stop this project with what is going on and he said no way! Tyler Lyon is also a fighter, a champion and wants to help spread the word about brain cancer to help where he can.
Here is where you come in. Click on his website. Watch the video. Send him any kind of support you can. If you know how to build websites, if want to send money or just want to tell him how awesome he is…do it! There is a “contact us” on his website.
My goal is to get enough people to watch the project that next year I can do a fundraiser for The Brain Cancer Awareness Foundation to help Tyler Lyon’s dreams come true. Jenn AND Jami are smiling on us right now and I feel it! I hope you can too!
– Coby Archa
