Giving thanks and giving back. Garcelle Beauvais, Becca Kufrin and Rachel Lindsay are using their platforms for positivity this holiday season by raising awareness for the work done by the American Cancer Society.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, cancer patients and their families have faced a significant disadvantage when it comes to receiving the care they deserve. Nearly one third of patients have experienced noticeable delays in their treatment schedules and the COVID-19 crisis has reduced the organization’s ability to fund research efforts by 50 percent.
Cancer touches the lives of millions around the globe — even celebrities. Beauvais, 54, is fighting for the future of the American Cancer Society as part of Giving Tuesday in honor of her niece Lucy Belle Perkins, who died after battling a stage IV glioblastoma multiforme brain tumor.
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“My niece Lucy Belle Perkins was a vivacious, artistic, beautiful, funny kindhearted girl. She loved drawing, painting, rainbow loom, reading, animals, family and friends. Lucy was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, a Stage IV brain tumor while attending 6th grade,” the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star reflected via Instagram. “Throughout treatment she attended school, earned high honors, and starred in the school play. Lucy loved life, and was determined to live it. Despite excellent medical care, Lucy died in September of 2014. She was thirteen years old. She is loved and missed by many and will never be forgotten.”
Like Beauvais, Kufrin, 30, was inspired to stand up for the health organization after losing a family member to cancer. While her dad passed away years before she made her way to the Bachelor mansion in 2018, Kufrin still holds his memory close to her heart.
“On September 20, 2009 at 2:09 pm, I lost one of the most important and influential people in my life,” she shared in a heartfelt Instagram post encouraging her fans to contribute to the American Cancer Society. “My father was taken from the world much too early because of a rare & aggressive type of brain cancer called glioblastoma. It was a battle ’till the end, but boy, did he sure fight like hell during those 5 years that he lived with his diagnosis. These days, it’s a special thing for me to go through old photos like this and remember the amazing man he was, but it’s also very bittersweet knowing that we’ll never have new photos and memories to make.”
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The Minnesota native detailed “the devastation that cancer can bring” not only to those who’ve been diagnosed, but also to their caregivers and loved ones. This year, more than 1.8 million new cancer patients will grapple with an added challenge as the American Cancer Society loses crucial investments.
“We can all do a small part this holiday season to donate and do what we can to support this cause,” Kufrin wrote. “Whether you can provide your time, money, extra resources, or voice to those who need it most, it matters and is so greatly appreciated.”
Kufrin’s “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast cohost, 35, also has a personal connection to the cause.
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“Every one of us has been impacted by cancer… and now more than ever, those who are battling cancer need our help,” Lindsay wrote via Instagram, calling attention to patients who might be treated differently “depending on their race, their sexual orientation, their gender identity, their disability status, or where they live.”
This holiday season, help the American Cancer Society fight for change by giving what you can to the cause. To learn more about how to donate, visit cancer.org.
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