To all those in Australia, I'd like to bring your attention to the first episode of Backyard Blitz, which airs at 6.30pm on Sunday February 28th.When you watch it, you'll be seeing a number of things. Firstly, you'll see one of the dearest, most supportive friends to ever grace my life (she's the one who has warned me is the "token emotional crying chick" on the episode going to air - and with good reason). She is Lisa, one of the mothers involved in Hills' Angels, a mothers group that has gone on their own blitz to bring in donations for one of the mothers in their group. You can read the smallest little snippet of Hilarie's story here.
Secondly, you'll be meeting Hilarie. A woman whom I have prayed for, cried for, worried about over the duration of 2009 via Lisa, and just all-round sent very gentle energy to, despite never having met her (I didn't even know what Hilarie looked like until I saw the full ad for the tv show's return during our weekly family televisual feast, Funniest Home Videos... oh, how I adore to see Lolly slap her thigh at all the "funny dog ones", as she calls them).
Thirdly, you'll be seeing the logo I created for this unspeakably generous and phenomenal group of women. My breath caught in my throat when I saw them all wearing their matching uniforms, with the little familiar halo that seemed to fall out of nowhere and come together so beautifully last year after they approached me to "see what you can come up with". In the most miniscule, smallest of ways, I feel like I have contributed something and I am so very proud to be part of what these selfless friends are doing for one of their own.
For, you see, the other thing you will see is that Hilarie has a terminal brain tumour. She also has a young son. And a husband. A family trying to cope with the sheer enormity of what their future will bring. And how they will survive the day to day, let alone the crushing weight of the grief that is to come. I can't even bring myself to think about it...
This amazing group of women - a mothers group I'd be more than proud to say I am in (I've had little luck in this area) - have now become a fully fledged charity group. Raising funds for Hilarie's son, Hadley.
So I will be watching, as many others of Australians, on Sunday night. And I wanted to give you all a heads-up. A bit more of a human 3-degrees of separation insight into this story.
I also want to urge anyone who can help or sponsor this support group in any way to contact them (info@hills-angels(d0t)com(d0t)au) and make yourselves known, please.
This is one exceptionally good cause.
