Nerds Republic

Hyong Yi’s wife Catherine Zanga died last year after a heartbreaking battle with ovarian cancer. Wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed after suffering such a devastating blow, Yi had to stay strong for his family. With two young children at home, he had to be their rock.

That’s when he decided to do something truly amazing. He came up with a way to commemorate the anniversary of Catherine’s death that would help them move on, and also ensure that she would never be forgotten.

Catherine’s death left a huge hole in her family’s hearts. All three of them felt lost after she was gone.

That’s when Yi decided to draft love letters to express the love he’s had bottled up inside since her death.

After writing 100 notes over the course of a month, he and his children walked around Charlotte, North Carolina, on the anniversary of Catherine’s death and handed the notes to strangers.

He based the content of each note on memories and conversations he and his wife shared over the course of their relationship.

“I wanted them to experience how it felt to give this gift, rather than just be spectators,” Yi said of getting his little ones involved.

The event prompted a number of Yi’s friends to create a website where the notes could be published online.

“The most difficult, rewarding part of the past year has been to try and define a life worthy of Catherine. What is a life well lived? My conclusion: a life filled with love. Catherine taught me this,” Yi wrote in a Facebook post.

It was also the culmination of a year-long healing process. “For the last month, I was really looking forward to doing this with my children.”

“People sometimes take loved ones for granted. Be thankful for everyone around you,” Yi’s daughter Anna told the media.

According to Yi, “one of the things my wife was most concerned about was being forgotten. I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen now.” We couldn’t agree more. As our hearts go out to Yi and his family, there’s no chance that we’ll forget about Catherine. Something tells me that members of this community will hold her in their hearts forever, too.

If you’d like to learn more about this project, head on over to Yi’s website.

Being diagnosed with cancer causes many people to go to a dark place. It’s understandable that someone would feel depressed after getting such a heartbreaking diagnosis.

But then there are people like Sara Cutting. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in July, but she decided that she wouldn’t let it ruin her outlook on life. During her 18 weeks of chemo, she decided to make an Instagram series that she refers to as 365 Day Different Daily Headgear. The name’s a mouthful, but the project is totally awesome.

Cutting’s photos add humor to an otherwise unpleasant situation.

By sharing this series, she hopes to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

So far, this project has helped her raise over $15,000!

She’s so passionate about her mission.

Check out a few more of her adorable photos!

(via BuzzFeed / Instagram)

If you’d like to donate to Macmillan Cancer Support, visit this link and give as much as your heart desires. It’s going to a good cause, and it’s supporting an amazing woman who is raising awareness for a devastating condition. What could be better?

When someone is sentenced to years in prison, the last thing on their mind is thanking the judge for their incarceration. But after spending time in jail, one inmate wanted to repay the judge who oversaw his case by saving his life.

After the judge was diagnosed with cancer, the inmate started pulling out all the stops to see if he could help.

Carl Fox, a 61-year-old North Carolina Superior Court judge, was diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year.

His friends, colleagues, and family have all been tested to see if they can donate bone marrow.

Inmate Charles Alston was sentenced to jail years ago by Fox, and now he wants to help.

After hearing about his diagnosis, Alston wrote to Fox, telling him that this ruling saved his life.

He wants to return the favor, but Alston cannot donate bone marrow due to incarcerated donor restrictions.

Watch both men speak about this fateful incident, and find out how you can help.

(source: Global News)

To help Judge Fox, visit Save the Fox on Facebook. If you’re interested in donating to leukemia research efforts, check out Delete Blood Cancer.

Maybe Alston and Fox will get to meet again someday and thank each other in person, but until then, we hope that Judge Fox has a speedy recovery!

The battle against cancer is harrowing and difficult. Those who come out healthy on the other side are often considered heroes, as they should be. But those who lose the fight against this horrible disease are just as heroic. Their battles are no less meaningful or moving.

Seema Jaya Sharma was one of those people. After fighting cancer for six years, she finally succumbed to the relentless illness. When she knew that hope for survival was lost, she decided to write her own obituary on Facebook.

(via Facebook)

It’s clear that she never lost her sense of humor along the way. After all, there’s something to be said for requesting a celebration of life instead of a day full of mourning. Her obituary is proof that this woman always left happiness in her wake.

In 2010, when she was only 22, Jasmine Gailer experienced a pain and weakness in her leg. Soon, she found herself unable to walk, and doctors discovered the devastating reason: she had a cancerous tumor in the bone of her knee.

What followed were a series of physical and emotional rollercoasters, surgeries and treatments, and having to relearn to walk. Out of all of it, she came away with a 30 centimeter scar running down her leg.

Gailer and her scar. For a long time, the scar upset her, but posting an image of it on social media was, she found, a liberating experience — and it gave her an idea.

After her experience, Gailer decided that she wanted to raise awareness about cancer in young adults, as well as help lift the spirits of those living through cancer. After living with anger, sadness, and shame over her scarred body, she wanted to help others going through the same thing. “I was ashamed of [my scar] and I was ashamed of my story,” Gailer recalls. “That’s when I realized all my issues are based around this, why couldn’t I deal with this? And that’s when it all started.”

She started a fundraising campaign called Scar Stories and teamed up with several photographers. Together, they took these moving photos of young men and women (as well as some “young at heart” types) showing off their scars.

Sara was diagnosed with bone cancer at eight, and her young life has been a series of surgeries and treatments. She doesn’t let that stop her from surfing and creating music, though, and refers to her scar as her “shark bite.”

Nathan was diagnosed with a brain tumor just before turning 20. “Before my diagnosis, I thought life was open ended,” he said. “Now, I think differently. Right now, all I want is just to make the most of life.” Sadly, Nathan passed away shortly after this photo was taken.

Natalie, seen here, also had bone cancer, and had to have her leg removed.

Diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, Lucy now has a 40 centimeter scar running down her leg.

Hayley’s eye was removed due to retinoblastoma at six months old, and she now wears an artificial one. Long ashamed of it, she finally decided to embrace it as a young adult.

“Since I’ve stopped hiding my scar, it has been easier to accept the fact that I had cancer,” she says. “I am finally able to let my guard down and be happy with how I look.”

Hannah also lived with crippling shame over her scars, but has learned that they do not define her. “My scars are proof of my past, my pain, and my struggle. But I won’t let them determine my future,” she says.

Scar Stories isn’t all about young people. They also show the strength of older survivors, like the Tough Beautiful Chicks, a network of breast cancer survivors who celebrate their triumphs over cancer.

(via Metro)

Scar Stories is partnered with CanTeen, an Australian organization that focuses on the unique challenges faced by teenagers and young adults affected by cancer. Gailer’s photos have been displayed and auctioned off throughout Australia, with all proceeds going to CanTeen. Gailer also hopes that seeing other young people with scars, physical and emotional, will help cancer patients around the world.

You can see more stories on Scar Stories’ website. If you’d like to help out, you can also make a donation or purchase a print. You can also check out what CanTeen is doing to help young cancer patients.

Those who have to battle cancer are dealt a devastating blow. These people are faced with the reality that they may not pull through, and that weighs heavily on their minds, and on the minds of their loved ones. But even in the face of such adversity, there has to be a silver lining. Cancer sufferers dream of the day when they can stop all those harsh treatments and begin their journey to recovery.

So when Ann Trachtenberg found out that her last day of chemotherapy was drawing near, she made an off-hand joke about wanting a marching band to celebrate her victory over the disease.

Her family took that joke to heart and wowed their amazing Ann with something she’ll never forget.

(via Facebook)

Trachtenberg managed to beat cancer and keep her sense of humor in the process, which is no small feat. If anyone deserves pomp and circumstance, it’s someone who succeeds in conquering what could have been a death sentence. Best wishes to Ann as she continues down the path to recovery!

For more incredible stories of survival, check out the posts below:

Athena Krueger was a lifelong planner. She had a successful career in software sales and a happy marriage. Her next plan was to become a mom.

Sadly, her plan was thrown for a loop when she discovered a painful lump in one of her breasts just 15 weeks into her pregnancy. The lump was discovered to be cancer, and was already aggressive.

While some of the treatments appeared to work, the cancer continued to spread throughout her body, and it seemed all hope was lost. Athena, a woman of great faith, decided that she wasn’t going to let terminal cancer stop her from expressing her love for her family.

In her final weeks in hospice care, Athena planned a lavish, over-the-top party for Amari’s first birthday. The event was one that she had struggled to see, and the only one she would ever see. She planned the whole thing, invited hundreds of family and friends, and decided to enjoy herself.

Amari’s actual birthday is on May 5. Athena lived to see it, but she passed away the following day. She died peacefully at home with her husband, having lived to see and accomplish what she most desired. She died on her own terms, and with the happy memory of her daughter’s first birthday, at the young age of 33.

Interviews with her family and friends show that Athena will be remembered as a faithful, determined, and loving woman.