Community raises money for Cristina Reeve
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Cristina Reeve poses with a check donated to her family from the Graham Junior High School student council during the Pink Out Pep Rally on Friday, Oct. 18, at Graham High School. (Contributed photo by Cristina Reeve) -
Members of the community, Beyond Faith Hospice and Smart Graphics pose with Cristina Reeve (middle back), who was presented a check for $940 for T-shirts sold as a fundraiser supporting her ongoing struggle with breast cancer. The sales started at the beginning of October and the business was able to sell 174 total. (Leader photo by Thomas Wallner)
The community came recently out to events in support of Crestview Elementary School teacher Cristina Reeve and her fight against breast cancer, raising around $7,000 between the three local events.
Reeve was diagnosed in 2013 with triple-negative breast cancer and was able to overcome it after a mastectomy, hysterectomy and through chemotherapy. In May 2019, the cancer returned and she was diagnosed with Stage IV Metastatic breast cancer which had spread across her body to her lungs, sternum, ribs and neck.
Reeve does chemotherapy on Mondays and attempts to return to school on Tuesdays, according to a story from the Oct. 19 edition of The Graham Leader. She teaches a reading group at Crestview Elementary. She said teaching the reading group allows for greater flexibility to take time off if she needs more recovery time.
The first fundraising event held was the sale of breast cancer T-shirt made by Beyond Faith Hospice starting at the beginning of October. Owner Becky Richardson said the breast cancer T-shirt sales are an annual fundraiser held at the business, but this year they dedicated the funds raised to Reeve.
“We just knew that she had a need in the community and we always do an annual breast cancer shirt and so Mitzi May, who is our community liaison, said, ‘Would you like to do one to help benefit Cristina,’ and we were all on board and excited about it and said, ‘Yeah lets go for it,’” Richardson said.
The business sold 174 T-shirts and donated a check Tuesday, Oct. 22, to Reeve for $940. Richardson said she was excited by the community support for the fundraiser.
“I can’t put into words the gratitude and the overwhelming love you just feel from every one around you because, honestly, without our community I don’t think I could be as healthy as I am now with the things the community supports us with because it’s so expensive, it’s so expensive,” Reeve said.
In June, Reeve created a Facebook page to update friends and family, Round Two-Still Fighting. She also uses the page to posts motivation and sometimes humorous images. Her latest update as of Monday, Oct. 21, said she has successfully completed her 15th round of chemotherapy with good numbers.
For the rest of the story, see the Saturday, Oct. 26 edition of The Graham Leader.
