A Warrior Among Us: Letter from Kristina Chartier
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." - Confucius
We recently received an incredibly moving letter from a KiraGrace community member, Kristina Chartier. It inspired us to share the story of A Warrior Among Us: women going above and beyond in their communities, battling challenges beyond the normal, and proving that we can and will rise together. Whether this letter encourages you to reach out to someone with words of encouragement or gives you the boost you need to keep on rising; we hope that you leave feeling inspired.
Dear KiraGrace,
We are so happy to hear that Leslie Collins and her children are safe and that you are reaching out through your business and customers to help her family.
I recently discovered your beautiful brand and by the Grace of God, I am walking (in beautiful, comfortable Kira Grace wear) six miles every morning with my husband; and kiddos sometimes tag along too I mention the Grace of God, because on January 28, this year, I underwent a 12-hour neurosurgery for a very large, benign meningioma brain tumor. My Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon told me a few months later that had the tumor not been identified, that I would have "slipped away" into a coma and death within 6 months. He also told me that I am probably the only person on the planet with this kind of tumor, this large where MY PERSONALITY WAS NOT AFFECTED. WELL, I AM ALIVE AND WELL 7 MONTHS AFTER THIS TRAUMATIC SURGERY. THANKS BE TO GOD, hundreds of prayers, the strength of my family to take care of me, my husband and our two daughters, ages 8 and 11.
Your email asked, "Have you been impacted?" Well we have been in many California wildfires but we remained safe, along with our home. But the word IMPACTED hits hard this year. I am an extremely talented wedding photographer whose business was taken away by COVID and brain surgery this year. I plan to resume my work by the end of the year.
I have been back to caring and having as much fun as possible with our precious family. Every. Second. Of. Every. Day. While God is blessing me with continued strength, the darn COVID impacted our family again when my husband was laid off not too long after my surgery. Boy, $275,000 in medical bills is devastating even though I am healthy and will continue to get stronger and stronger for myself. and for my family. It sure is not fair to get hit over and over again. We are fighting to work, take care of our family and keep our home, but with the loss of two incomes and devastating medical bills, we are praying that our home and everything we have, will not slip away from us.
We pray for strength. And I hope that you will pray for us too. Maybe there is a small way that awareness of what I went through, through your brand, can somehow help other women. The migraines and sleepiness were dismissed until I found the right medical team at the right time. Thankfully, in time to not only save my life, but to preserve WHO I AM. I would love to share my story. I am not asking you for financial support, but prayers and hard work have not yet lessened our financial burden.
(Attached you will see our family together in Paris on Christmas when our girls were younger.)
All my love to you and your family,
Kristina Chartier
Scottsdale, Arizona
If you feel like sharing your story with the KiraGrace community, please reach out to kira@kiragrace.com. We love connecting with you & continuing to #risetogether through difficult times.
If you liked this blog, check out our other blogs like our "Threading Together 2020", "Love & Life: Advice to My 25-Year-Old Self", "8 Ways to Show Yourself Some Kindness", and "The Secret of Self-Care: Approach over Action"
