Staff Report
When the daughter of Santa Ynez resident Shannyn Tupper had a mysterious illness and ended up in the children’s wing at Cottage Hospital, Tupper watched the young cancer patients and their parents battle the disease.
“Some of the parents had to leave their children to work during the day to make money to pay for the treatments, and it broke my heart to watch the kids being poked and prodded without support. That’s why I got involved with the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation,” Tupper said.
Tupper and fellow valley resident Tracy Angel were honored with the Helping Hands award at the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation‘s sixth annual Gold Ribbon Luncheon in October, which raises money for TBCF’s education advocacy, emotional support and financial stability programs.
A few years after Tupper’s family experience, a friend’s daughter was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor at 6 months old, and Tupper and Angel knew they had to do something.
“Tracy asked if I’d be interested in holding the first North County event for Teddy Bear, and Sangria Soirée was born. That year, Tracy, myself and Alicia Guglielmo were the committee and it was held at Fess Parker Wine Country Inn,” Tupper said.
Tupper and Angel have also been on committees for other events but their hearts are really in TBCF’s direct family support like the children’s Christmas party and the Mother’s Day Spa. For the last seven years the duo have coordinated the Mother’s Day Spa along with Becca Solodon from TBCF.
“This is a day to pamper mothers who have a child battling cancer. There is no fundraising or schmoozing, just honoring and pampering mothers going through an unimaginable time in their lives. This event is 100 percent volunteer-based and somehow we pull it off every year by the skin of our teeth.! It’s my favorite day of the year,” Tupper said.
TBCF Executive Director Lindsey Leonard spoke at the Gold Ribbon luncheon about many of the young recipients she had met throughout the year, some who went on to win their struggles with cancer, others who tragically did not.
“One thing that everyone here today has in common is the desire to help others,” Leonard said. “Everyone has chosen to give of their time and resources because you know our sick children need you, because they are literally fighting for their lives.”
Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a mission to empower families living in Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties who have a child with cancer by providing financial, educational and emotional support. Services are provided to families of children with cancer up to age 18 and continuing until the patient reaches 21.
In 2017, Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation provided services to 839 people. Since its founding in 2002, TBCF has awarded more than $2 million in financial assistance to 2,142 people in the tri-county region.
For more information, or to make a donation, call 805-962-7466 or visit www.teddybearcancerfoundation.org.
