Frozen Pea Fund

One day you’re talking with your daughter about what colleges she’d like to attend and the next day you’re praying you’ll be alive to see her graduate, go off to college, get married and have babies. … This wasn’t part of the plan. – Tricia

Cancer is never part of the plan. It strikes unexpectedly, and it does not just strike an individual. Cancer affects an entire family — even an entire community, to varying degrees.

This past week many in our online community were saddened to hear that Tricia, the sister of Todd Andrlik (@ToddAnd on Twitter), was scheduled for a bilateral mastectomy on Saturday. Her story bears a striking resemblance to Susan Reynolds’s case: discovery of a suspected cyst, immediate diagnosis of invasive lobular carcinoma, and surgery just nine days later.

Tricia’s surgery went well, and the news is hopeful. Pathology reports will give clearer answers, but the surgeon appeared confident that the cancer had not spread to other parts of her body. However, she faces months of treatment — months when she will be unable to go back to work and her family will be faced with some staggering expenses. Even with insurance, out-of-pocket expenses for a cancer patient can be quite high.

To help his sister, Todd created a beautiful website — and he created a way for you to help Tricia and the Frozen Pea Fund at the same time. It’s also a way to promote your business or to pay tribute to a friend or loved one who has fought cancer.

Go to the Pixel Page on the 4tricia.com blog. Buy a block of pixels and upload your image or logo. You can even add a tagline and a link to your website. A 10 x 10 pixel square is $1. The most common selection is a 50 x 50 pixel square, about the size of an online avatar, and it’s yours for $25.

Tricia and her family have graciously offered to donate 25 percent of the proceeds to the Frozen Pea Fund. In fact, we have already received our first donation from them!

We want to thank Tricia and her family, and especially Todd, for including the Frozen Pea Fund. And we extend our thoughts and prayers for a quick recovery for Tricia.

How about you? Would you please support Tricia by leaving a comment for her on 4tricia.com and by purchasing a pixel? It’s a great cause, and an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of a family in our extended community.

Please spread the word about the pixel project on Twitter, Facebook and other social networks. And feel free to blog about the effort on behalf of Tricia, or email the link to a friend. Thanks in advance for your help.

– Connie