Dear readers, those of you who have been following my blog especially since the end of last year might remember that I was working on setting up a public charitable foundation to aid other Neurofibromatosis patients in Malaysia. That charitable foundation will be named A Celebration of Life foundation.
I have been discussing with friends and supporters of mine behind the scenes on how to go about setting up this charitable foundation. We have learned through someone who works for the Malaysian Association of Company Secretaries (MACS) that we need RM1million in pledges before the foundation can be set up. The company secretary who works for MACS is the friend of a lady whom I have helped to raise funds for. She has volunteered to assist in setting up this foundation with her capacity as a company secretary.
Now, to start promoting the Celebration of Life foundation endeavor, I’d like to create a logo to represent the foundation, something that the public can immediately identify and relate to. Are you good at graphics designing? If you are, would you like to help create a logo to celebrate life?
To give you a head start and get your creative juices flowing, let me tell you how did the name, “A Celebration of Life”, come about.
It came about because I have learned that life, no matter how difficult or challenging, is worth celebrating. As many of you now know, Neurofibromatosis was not the first and toughest challenge of my life. Long before I was diagnosed with NF, I had been struggling to stay afloat in a family environment filled with darkness, fending for myself mentally, emotionally and physically after my father suffered a brain hemorrhage when I was only three years old. My childhood struggles later proved to serve a purpose, as they strengthened me to endure a debilitating genetic disorder beginning at the age of 16. By that time, I have learned to endure pain and hardship without bitterness or resentment.
Since I have faced much worse torments in my early life, Neurofibromatosis and the challenges it brings does not hurt me. Instead, Neurofibromatosis motivates me to become even stronger. It has given me a purpose to live by – to raise awareness and inspire hope, love, faith and strength. With the help of many people from the public, I was able to raise funds publicly to have eight out of ten lifesaving surgeries of mine performed in America – something that no other Malaysian has ever done. Heart4Hope was a public fundraising campaign I started in 2005 to raise funds by selling specially designed t-shirts. I also wrote a book to raise NF awareness and became a public motivational speaker. As a result of these past endeavors, I have survived and still thriving today in spite of Neurofibromatosis.
Neurofibromatosis may be challenging, but it is a cause worth celebrating. Because of Neurofibromatosis, I have learned so much more about my own life and the lives of others.
A Celebration of Life foundation will not only assist Neurofibromatosis patients in Malaysia financially. It will also inspire and encourage people to recognize the silver lining and the lessons behind their individual lives.
Read these articles to understand moore about my character:
I am not a good-for-nothing
How to break free from our childhood traumas
If you are into graphics designing and would like to create something that embodies the spirit of the Celebration of Life foundation, please get in touch with me by e-mail. Yvonnefmn(at)gmail(dot)com.
If you own a company or business, would you like to consider donating a gift to the volunteers who will help create this logo?