Our Story
My aunt is a Carmelite nun ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmelite_nuns ), currently on medical leave due to her suffering from fibromyalgia. I am purposely not using her name to protect her identity and avoid any conflicts of interest (Along with taking vows of chastity and poverty, Carmelite nuns are to live lives of humility). Before taking time off to focus on her health, she spent over 30 years in the convent acquiring 2 master's degrees and lovingly applying them to serving the Catholic communities she was assigned to. She has always been an inspiration to my family, inspiring my brother and I to become musicians (she plays the guitar and sings), my cousins to become animators (she paints, draws and makes custom handmade jewelry), sculptors (she sculpts), teachers (she has taught almost every primary grade and been a principal) and students (did I mention she has 2 master's degrees? :) ). Despite all of her blessings, she has spent the past decade seeking remedy for the many excruciating aches, pains, headaches, depression, exhaustion, nausea, etc. that her disease inflicts on her daily. Massages, chiropractics, pain killers, anti-inflammatories, acupuncture, yoga, injections, hypnotherapy, psychologists, this specialist, that specialist.....you get the picture: she's tried EVERYTHING!
What she seeks now is a miracle!
As history will tell you, Carmelite sisters have a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of God. It is this devotion that has motivated my aunt to seek a sort of pilgrimage, taking her, myself and her cousin (my great cousin) to Lourdes, France. In 1858 in theThe Grotto of Massabielle near Lourdes, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared 18 times to a 14 year old peasant girl. Since then, the grotto has played host to thousands of miracles and attracts millions of pilgrims every year.
When my aunt invited me to accompany her on this trip I was only hesitant because of the money that it would take to make it happen. Being a young, freelance filmmaker has its perks, but having money for a European vacation is not one of them. She insisted that we could raise the money necessary and so I agreed.
In the three weeks since our fundraising began we have seen an overwhelming amount of love and generosity. Our friends and family have donated time, energy, effort, ideas and money towards helping us reach our goal. For the past 3 weekends my aunt has held boutiques at several aunt's houses selling her jewelry and paintings. In two weeks we will have a garage sale at my parents' house to help raise money. The fundraising will culminate with an enchilada dinner party where my grandma, aunts and uncles will be making home made enchiladas and selling them to friends, family and neighbors for $10/plate. My band will be providing the entertainment in the backyard while folks dine and dance!
It will surely be a great time, but I fear that all of our efforts may still fall short of our HUGE goal....
......that's where YOU come in!
The Impact
I decided within the first couple of days of fundraising that I could make an impact on not just my aunt, but on the larger fibromyalgia / auto-immune disease community. My aunt's life, struggles, hope and faith are inspiring to our family and all who know her. But what about those who don't? What if we could reach them, YOU, with this message?
To do just that, I have decided to bring my camera along with me on the trip and make my aunt's journey into a documentary for all to see. If you help us reach our goal, I will give you first access to the documentary.
If we do not reach our goal, then we might have to postpone our travels. My aunt only has 6 months left on her leave of absence before she has to go back into the convent. With the window narrowing, now is the time and this goal WILL be reached with your help and prayers!
What We Need
Flight to Madrid: $2,271.90
3 Nights @ La Petit Palace Avenida (Madrid, Spain) : $373.97
2 Nights @ Grande Hotel Gallia (Lourdes, France): $348.20
2 Nights @ Petit Palace Arana (Biscay, Spain) : $131.22
2 Nights @ Tryp Santiago (Santiago de Compostela, Spain): $354.28
1 Night @ Hotel Santa Maria (Fatima, Portugal): $154.86
1 Night @ Jeronimo's 8: $366.08
Food for 2 weeks: $1000
(1) 2 TB G-Raid Hard Drive (to store all of the video files) $284.99
TRIP TOTAL: $5,284.99
MONEY RAISED SO FAR: $1,700 (and groWING!!)
MONEY NEEDED: Approximately $3,500
What You Get
For pledges of $50 - $99: We will give you access to our blog, covering our daily travels, pictures and videos posted along the way.
For pledges of $100 - $249: You will receive a hand-made bracelet made by my aunt herself!
For pledges of $250 or MORE: We will give you first access to the documentary upon it's completion!!! You'll be the FIRST to see our finished product!
Other Ways You Can Help
$5, $10, $2.....ANYTHING will help! You can also: Tell your friends, pass the word on, post this campaign on your Facebook or Twitter pages.