I find it hard to describe how much your Christmas gift meant to my family. My family and I are no strangers to tears but for the first time in a long time the warmness of your hearts brought warm tears of joy to my eyes.

To be completely honest when I found out about the plan a day or two before the trip I was upset. I thought no one really “needs” presents or material things—you just have to make do with what you have like my family always has. I felt embarrassed and was afraid to go out on the trip with strangers; I felt I might be judged. Although I realized how narrow minded I was being, I couldn’t completely shake it. However, I am glad that I soon realized how incredibly wrong I was.

I now understand that the biggest gift isn’t the material in itself, it was the manifestation that there are kind and generous people around us even when the rest of the world is looking bleak. You are a ray of hope and a prime example that there is much good still being done in this world if only we let ourselves focus on it.

I have seen my mom go through so much and I have tried to show her how much we appreciate her and I have written many letters to talk shows and contests because I am so proud of my mom and all of her obstacles and I want her to know even though she may not see it she has accomplished so much. I am proud of her courage and her never ending love for us. She’s such a fighter but since around the time she started having trouble at work I saw her growing tired, feeling defeated and through the years this has only permeated. During this break it broke my heart to hear my mom say that she couldn’t do anything right, that nothing she did ever went smoothly. And yet the day of the trip my mom was once again the glowing and beautiful person I’ve always known is there. The greatest gift I received was seeing my mom genuinely happy. Surprised. I saw her forget all about our burdens that worry her constantly. It was beautiful and I cannot thank you enough. To see faith and hope be restored in her, I don’t know how to describe the feeling but I get a knot in my throat and yet I feel enormous and content, genuinely happy.

I realize that it’s ok to get some help when you need it and even when you think you don’t need it it’s still nice to feel the love that someone can give to you with a gift. I had a wonderful afternoon and it is one that I will not forget. Thank you.

Best wishes and much love,
Sara

Dear Lil and the entire Beckstrand Family:
Words can't even come close to express to you all how incredibly thankful I am for the many, many gifts we received from you for Christmas! The generosity, the time, the effort, the love you showed to me and Michael was just totally above and beyond. I still get tears in my eyes seeing you come through my door with that huge box of boxes! I will never forget how happy Michael was to get all of the things he wanted that I could have never bought for him.

Not only the gifts we opened but the gift of all your hard work and the lesson my son has learned from you & your giving spirit – going through breast cancer with me. It seems that even in the toughest challenges we face, God doesn't let us down, we found you.

I know he [Michael] will be something & someone very willing to help others because of this experience.

You have all touched my hear and I will carry you with me every day in prayer & thanks.

Renewed health, strength, & spirit to you all this year. God Bless!

Love,
Maria & Michael

Dear Lil and the staff at Beckstrand,
I can't thank you enough for the financial help your foundation has blessed me with. I never though I would ever be in the situation I am in. Living with cancer for the last three and one-half years has brought on many challenges for me, mostly financial and now I am going through divorce. However, through these stressful times, your foundation has give me the resources to start a new beginning. I am so touched and thankful for the wonderful staff I have been in contact with. Pam is beyond wonderful and Sarah is the sweetest person, so kind!

I know you must receive many thanks from patients, but I want you all to know, I could not have done this without your generosity. I am forever thankful for your support.

Many, many thanks,
Iris

Dear Beckstrand, This year has been, so far, the most difficult I've ever experienced. Yet, through the darkness I have been blessed with a renewed path to live and enjoy life and to never take one minute for granted. Through it all, I've seen the caring and compassion of friends, family and especially the Beckstrand Cancer Foundation. Your foundation provided financial assistance just when I desperately needed it the most and I sincerely appreciate your help.

My children and I are forever grateful and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for such a beautiful act of kindness.

Alise and Benjamin

This amazing and unprecedented support means the world to me and to Todd & Atsuko. As you can imagine and know by experience, their entire world is in disarray and just dealing with the normal stuff is tough but is exaggerated when Zen takes a downturn as he did today. Atusko had to make an emergency trip to CHLA for a 6-hour blood transfusion. Without childcare, this already tough trip makes it even more difficult and hard to manage.

I can't thank you enough for recognizing the extremeness of their situation and responding so quickly and passionately to them. Your mission and ours is to assist these families. The ones who didn't do anything to deserve this and whose future is so uncertain.

On behalf of my family, I thank you. For allowing Raygan to be in school where he is nurtured and well cared for while Atsuko tends to Zen and their littlest one.

Hopefully one day our family can pay you back in a big way. Thank you Lil. This means everything to me.

Marchelle

I am so grateful to the Beckstrand Cancer Foundation for its assistance. This contribution will help us resolve our car/transportation issue. Knowing that there is an organization and people that recognized the challenge cancer patients have with everyday life issues raises my hopes for your society. In a time when so much focus is put on the bottom line with consumer companies, humanity seems to take a backseat. I know that before I was diagnosed, paying bills, housing, ect., there were occasional "hassles." Now with the challenge of cancer, those "hassles" are often magnified into major issues. And of course with that comes stress and the risk that the immune system will be diminished. Your dedication to supporting others and me is a shining star of hope. THANK YOU!

And...I must let you know how impressed I am with your social worker Pam Kennedy's ability to communicate and create that same sense of care. Every single conversation with Pam has been positive and filled with kindness and understanding. Beckstrand Cancer Foundation seems to attract truly quality people.

North M.

Spike and I wanted to thank you for your generosity and help at this time. Your gift of two mortgage payments and the DWP bill is really appreciated! It is tough enough going through chemo without the added stress of "how will we pay the bills?"

I can't tell you what this does for my peace of mind, so I can concentrate on defeating my illness.

Thank you all for being there.

Evelyn & Spike

Dear Pam,

Thank you for all the time, effort, and emotional support that you gave my brother. The care and concern that you displayed was very touching to Michael and he really appreciates all that you have done for hi.

We also want to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Beckstrand Cancer Foundation for all their generosity and financial support that has been given to my brother. Out of the numerous agencies that I have contacted for help or information, Beckstrand Cancer Foundation was the only one that truly seemed to care and offer help. What a blessing your foundation has been to our lives. We would never have been able to do what we have done up to this point without your financial assistance. You have made it possible for Michael to get back on his feet. He is now living in a nice little studio apartment close to us and we believe he will be very comfortable and happy there. He will be continuing with his chemo treatments and then on to radiation.

We hope that the outcome for Michael is a positive one and we will keep you updated periodically of his progress.

Michael, Kathy & Alan

Praise God! I am writing to your recent response per telephone conversation with one of your associates earlier this month. The woman I spoke with was very pleasant and attentive to my situation. I have received a check from your foundation that will help us with our monthly rent. Words cannot begin to explain my gratitude and thankfulness for your generosity.

This is the first time that I've heard of your foundation and do pray that someday I can return with a heartfelt donation. I must say that it's people like you that give people as myself a sense of hope to carry on. There are a lot of people in this world sick or healthy that just want to know that someone cares for them and is concerned of their needs. This is a very generous gesture and will be a great help for my family. I pray to God for you to receive a hundred-fold in return for giving to my family.

I have been going through this disease for about five years now and have been through HELL and back. For three of these years I was mis-diagnosed and suffered tremendously. The health insurance that I had didn't want to pay for a lot of things that I needed to be done for my illness, or should I say didn't cover treatment. I almost lost hope and felt so ashamed of how I responded. But, hey, after being told that you have a debilitating disease, the first thing that comes to mind is death. Need I say anything else? I'm sure you have heard it all. So, I just want to thank you so much especially everyone that was involved with the decision to grant this gift for my family...May God Bless!

Annette M.

Thank you so much for your assistance. I have received the three months mortgage payments and three months association fees. This financial aid will alleviate some of the fear and sense of helplessness that accompany a diagnosis of cancer and the implications that come with it.

Your timely help is much more than financial. It brings me into a circle of caring friends. It has taken some of the sting out of the loneliness of this disease. True, many women go through this and there are wonderful support organizations, but the sense of aloneness is there as one is wheeled into surgery, as one lies under the machine during weeks of radiation therapy.

And the concept of 3 months assistance helps me to realize that this difficult time has a limit. I will soon be getting back to my life as a well woman. It is difficult to express the impact of this. My life has been on hold for several years due to other circumstances: The shock of having to once more wait to move forward because of the cancer, has worn off and your kindness, caring, and generosity give me courage and determination. After all, I'm only 70 and I still have dreams and aspirations. These do not belong to youth only.

Jacquebeth G.

Thank you so much for the $600 you gave me to purchase the used car so I could get myself to chemotherapy treatments, and for the check of $475.63. I really needed those funds to keep my utilities on for the next month. I have been trying to find a Cancer foundation like yours that helps cancer patients like me. Words just cannot express what I felt when I received that check. There are so many people out there like me that really appreciate what your foundation does for them.

Nowadays people don't care about what happens to the sick and ailing. I was just watching on the news last week how hospitals are dropping people who have little or no money right in the street, straight from their hospital beds with no place to go, and I pictured myself in that situation. If there were more organizations like yours I believe more people would survive when they face a life-threatening disease.

Angelina J.

I can't thank you enough for everything you have done for my family and me. It was so much more than we expected! There are no words to express how happy you made us! My boys could not stop talking about their visit from Santa Claus. They absolutely love their new toys – especially the electric scooters! It keeps them busy for hours, which is a blessing for me. My husband and I are especially very touched by your generosity in arranging for the trip to the resort which has been a dream of mine. After months of chemotherapy, it will be so wonderful to get away and spend some special time alone with my husband to relax and reflect on the special times and memories that we have created together. This is the most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given us!

Although my prognosis is not good, I choose to remain positive and hopeful – and you have certainly helped me to maintain that outlook. There are so many cancer patients out there who are lonely, isolated, and frightened. I am fortunate enough to have my wonderful family, and now friends like Lil and Jamie at Beckstrand. We are so lucky! You shine light and offer hope to the lives of others by listening, lending a hand, and offering generous support. You are truly angels on this earth.

Bless you all for what you do for families that are going through tough times. May God return more in your lives.

Thank you!

Danielle C.