August 4, 2008 by admin.

Hello Everyone,

In September 2008 I will be participating in a very special and powerful event in the fight against cancer. This event is a hockey tournament called “Face-Off Against Cancer” where I will be joining hundreds of players who all share a love for hockey and a passion to “stick it to cancer.” Net proceeds for this year’s event will go to support malignant melanoma cancer research through the Alberta Cancer Foundation, a cancer that could easily affect you or someone you love as well as supporting local Calgary families that have been affected by cancer.

I have set a personal goal to raise money for this cause, but I need your help to do it. Would you consider making a fully tax deductible donation to help me meet my goal? In partnership, The Memory Foundation and The Alberta Cancer Foundation will put your donation towards treatments, support and research towards finding a cure for this dangerous disease.

For those that don’t know, during Crystal Violante’s battle with cancer, I spent my time raising awareness for her cause, the Tom Baker Center, and Hospice Calgary. Right before Crystal passed away, I promised her that I would dedicate my time to making a difference in her honour. I had been introduced to Memory’s Foundation through their support for Crystal’s family during their struggles and was asked to join Memory’s Foundation/Alberta Cancer Foundation in January. This is an organization that I am extremely proud to be a part of and thankful for all the support from my friends and family.

This year’s Face-Off Against Cancer is honoring Crystal Violante who lost a courageous battle against malignant melanoma in December 2007 leaving behind a beautiful baby girl Mattea and her husband Anthony behind. To learn more about the tournament and Crystal’s story, please visit www.FaceOffAgainstCancer.org.

Please be a champion and join my fight to face off against this disease. Simply click on the link to my personal page below to sponsor me today!

Click here to visit my Web page or copy and paste the following link in a web browser:

http://donate.albertacancer.ca/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=318&srcid=288&erid=554&frsid=87

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Sincerely,

Marco Hunstad

P.S. Please feel free to pass this along to your friends and family that would be interested in supporting such a worthy cause.

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July 16, 2008 by admin.

Hello everyone,

I’m writing post to update everyone on the foundation that I have been a part of over the past 6 months since our loss of our friend Crystal. Some of you are family and close friends, others were inspired and touched by Crystal’s story and contacted me through Crystal’s website www.loveforcrystal.com. Many have been patiently waiting for an update from me on my efforts with the foundation that I have been working with and the upcoming event in September that I am focusing on now and need your help… also please let me know if you wish to be removed from this mailing list. Also, if you wish to respond to me about this blog posting, please email me at support (at) loveforcrystal.com as I will receive your response faster than replying to this blog.
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We are now in full gear of our fundraising efforts for both Memory’s Foundation and Face Off Against Cancer (FOAC) and I’m am in much need of your help. We all knew and love Crystal like she was family and she touched all of our lives in some unique way. After Crystal passed away, I had plans of creating a foundation or charity in her name, however, was introduced by Anthony to a charity that was started following a ver Read the rest of this entry »

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July 3, 2008 by admin.

Hello - It’s been a while since I’ve been back to this site and updated it. I have been meaning to update this site for a while, however, there have been a lot of things going on in the past 6 months that I wanted to update everyone on.

After Crystal passed away, I felt that it was really important to stay involved in the community around Melanoma Awareness. During Crystal’s battle with Cancer - her husband Anthony was introduced to an amazing charity organization call Memory’s Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to helping families in Calgary that have been affected by cancer as well as raise awareness around Cancer research in partnership with the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

I have joined this organization and been working with Memory’s Foundation now for over 6 months and will continue to do so in Crystal’s honour. Please visit www.faceoffagainstcancer.org for more information around Memory’s Foundation.
I would also like everyone to know that in September, Memory’s Foundation hosts an annual hockey tournament to help raise money towards Malignant Melanoma Research.

This year’s tournament is in honour of Crystal. We will have a team in honour of Crystal (just finalizing the name of the team) and will keep everyone posted. If there are any hockey players that are interested in playing for Crystal’s team, please let me know.
I will update this information soon with more details around the event, however, in the meantime you can visit www.faceoffagainstcancer.org for more details.

Once I have officially created Crystal’s Team, we will be looking for pledges for our team - as this year’s tournament is dedicated to Crystal, I would love to see our team raise the most money of the 24 teams involved! Any donation is tax deductable. Again - I’ll send an updated post soon on more information.

Best Regards,

Marco

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December 12, 2007 by admin.

Hello everyone,

It is with deepest sympathy to inform you that our dearest friend Crystal Violante passed away peacefully this afternoon, December 12th, 2007. Thank you for everyone’s thoughts, prayers and generosity over the past 5 months. I will provide more information soon regarding her funeral once those arrangements are made.

Our thoughts, prayers, and love are with Tony, Mattea and his family during this difficult time.

Marco

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December 4, 2007 by Chrissy.

Good morning,
I just wanted to thank everyone around the world for their love and support, and their desire for me to heal. My healing journey is now starting as I prepare to go home, and it is a beautiful thing. My soul is beginning to cross over and each time that I do, I don’t want to come back. I am excited, and I am at peace.

The things that I have learned:
Never say never. Forgiveness is the hardest lesson to learn. Put you family first over money, over materialism, above all, family first.

Love. Ask yourself: if I was love, what would I do in this situation. Love is the key to life.

Please volunteer, and strive to live all your dreams. The one thing you can always count on is change, nothing stays the same forever.

Holistic healing: things that kept me alive:
-BodyTALK
-THETA healing
-Reconnective healing (a book by Eric Pearl)
-Biofeedback
-Reiki
-Accupuncture
-Strict regiment of healthful foods
-An extensive variety of Chinese and herbal supplements

Thank you everyone,
Love and light,
Crystal

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November 27, 2007 by Chrissy.

Hello my angels,

I’m now in hospice and feeling 100 times better than in the hospital. My stay at the Foothills was rather traumatic, and I’m so blessed to have gotten into the hospice I wanted…and my health has much improved since coming here. They take amazing care of me and will walk with me as I begin my journey home…continuing the circle of life. I’m scared, but I trust that God, the divine will guide me to where I’m suppose to be. It’s so hard to let go, because I don’t want to die…but I have to accept the fact that this is God’s will…and let go. Big lesson to learn…I’m sitting here trying to let go…still growing, still learning.

We did our best to heal, to pray for a miracle - a divine healing. However, we have a divine healing, it is just that the healing involves me leaving this world and onto the next. My husband was/is amazing and kept me alive with holistic measures. I’ve been alive much longer than the doctors expected and that in itself is a gift. I encourage many to seek alternative treatments, because they DO WORK.

This may be one of the last entries I write as I’m getting weak and things like hanging out on line are becoming difficult. I would rather spend my time resting and just BEING with my family and close friends. I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone for your love and support. It has been divine in so many ways, there are no words to describe how I feel about all of you - family, friends, strangers…you are all amazing people with huge hearts…big souls…THANK YOU FOR BEING SO AMAZING.

Some of the lessons I’ve learned through this journey is that LOVE is the answer to everything. No matter what situation you find yourself in, as yourself…if I were LOVE, what would I do? Fighting with a spouse…be loving, kind, understanding…communicate. I ask that you all volunteer. One of my regrets is that when I look back, I never did much volunteering. I was too tired, too busy, too this, too that. I mean, I was giving and with in my own world I volunteered by being a good friend, good family member, blah, blah, blah, but I wish I gave back more.

Also, I ask that in lieu of flowers or gifts, please donate to hospice care. Many don’t know about hospice care, but it is a vital part of the dying process and has been a gift. It’s better than the hospital…the care is over the moon. The nurses are amazing, the volunteers are glowing - willing to do anything for you at the drop of a hat. Please donate. Please volunteer. PLEASE put your family first!! At the end of the day, when it is all said and done, the only place I wanna be is with my family and those I hold closest to my heart. I don’t give a shit about clothes, entertainment, making a million dollars, working 80 hours a week…I don’t care about the consumerism, materialism…I just wanna BE…just BE.

Love and Light,

Crystal

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November 19, 2007 by admin.

Anthony and Crystal have been selected as one of the top 10 finalists for Calgary’s Vibe 98.5 FM $50,000.00 Dream Baby Shower after 1,000s of entries! Vibe 98.5 is asking for us to decide who should win. While it would be nice to see every finalist win, I know how significant winning this contest would be to Anthony, Crystal and Mattea. Many of you have shared this site with your family and friends and continue to read Crystal’s updates and blog postings. We all know how difficult this family’s suffering and struggle has been over the past 5 months and this is another chance to make a difference in their lives.

Please take the time to share this with as many friends and family members as you can. To vote for Crystal, Anthony and Mattea, visit:
http://www.vibe985.com/node/623721 and select Finalist #4.

Thank You in advance for forwarding this to as many people as possible!

Marco Hunstad

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November 15, 2007 by admin.

Hello Everyone,

Crystal has asked me to post an update on her blog this morning. Sadly, Crystal’s fight has taken a turn for the worst and was admitted again to the Foothills Hospital on Tuesday. She will undergo radiation treatment that will prepare her for her hospice care when she leaves the hospital.

Crystal would like to personally thank everyone for all their prayers, support, calls, and generosity through these difficult times. We hope that she will be able to post a blog in the future, however, for now, I will do my best to keep everyone updated.

At this time, Crystal’s family has asked that there be no visitors to Crystal’s Unit. It is extremely important that she focuses the energy that she has on her healing and radiation recovery.

If you have any questions or need to contact Crystal or her family, please do not hesitate to contact me directly @ support@loveforcrystal.com

Marco Hunstad

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October 26, 2007 by Chrissy.

Hard Reality

I’m now walking the fine line between accepting the fact that I’m dying and surrendering to that reality. What I’m struggling with is, does this mean I’m giving up? For the past few months I thought that I would spontaneously heal. It happens, about one in 200,000 people find a complete cure - no explanations. I’ve been praying, we’ve all been praying, that this would happen for me. But unfortunately, the cancer is spreading.

My energy has plummeted as of late. My mobility is not what it once was. I’m numbing on the left side of my body - arm, back of leg and butt. My pain has increased; thus, my medication has increased. Things are different - very different than they were previously. I’m not getting better. I wish I was, but my body is starting to slow down…and I’ve got to honor that. I’ve got to listen to her and give her the rest and peace to “just be”.

I’ve also decided to stick with the current healing regime that Tony and I have created. We are not going to “add” anything else to the agenda. In fact, we’re backing off on some stuff because I don’t have the energy to participate in much of what I was doing before. I would now rather be at home with my daughter and spend time with her, family and close friends.

I will still continue to eat as healthy as possible (except for my chocolate binges, which I’m entitled to). I will continue to take the Chinese herb regime that Tony has created. I will also continue with massage, BodyTalk and Reconnective Healing. I’m not about to lay down and call it quits yet. I do, however, have to face the reality that God wants me to return home…and I have to prepare for that. On many levels, I have not. I will ALWAYS hold out hope that I will heal. You never know. Never say never. I will try to remain positive and walk through this challenge with as much grace as possible.

I know this may be hard for some of you to read, but it’s the truth. I have to be very honest at this point in my life. It is what it is…and I have to respect that.

As I move forward, I’m determined to live each day. I’m not dead yet. I have time…and I will make the most of that time.

So…that’s where I’m at today. Tomorrow’s always another day, and I could wake feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

I still have goals and things to accomplish. I’m trying my hardest to go to Kelowna next week to the healing retreat. This is very important to me. I will do whatever it takes to go. I just pray that I’m feeling better. I ask that you send positive vibes - let’s make the Kelowna thing happen. Perhaps it will be what I need to kick-start my will to live, my will to beat this monster.

Love and light,

Crystal

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October 19, 2007 by Chrissy.

Cancer is unpredictable, like waves crashing on the beach. Some waves politely tackle you and toss you into the sand, leaving you giddy and inspired. Other waves come with such force, grabbing your feet from beneath you, leaving you gasping for air as you run towards the shore. I have a healthy respect for the ocean. Well, maybe more of a healthy fear. The ocean reminds me of how small I am in relation to the world. The ocean reminds me of how beautiful the world is…how we are all one, one energy. The ocean gives me peace. It is one of my favourite places to be in the world. The beach. The ocean. The warmth. The life force.

I’m now trying to find a healthy respect for cancer. I’m trying to understand my cancer better. But, just when I think I have a grip on it, it changes. Like waves of the ocean, unpredictable.

I had an amazing weekend in Banff with my husband. My grandmother send us a wedding present, and we didn’t have a honeymoon as I just came out of radiation two days before. We decided to take the money and head to the mountains. In seven years of being together, we have never done the “Banff Weekend” like so many other Calgary couples do. So, we hopped in the car and headed West. I ended up having a great weekend, forgetting for a few days that I had cancer…well, almost forgetting. It’s hard to put it out of mind completely when you’re staring at your walker next to your bed or it’s time to pop another 15 pills with a meal.

We ordered room service - too much actually. Vegged in a big king sized bed. Watched movies. Did a little shopping, which I now enjoy again. Found a winter jacket that has been plaguing my mind…haven’t had the energy as of late to go and find one…but walked into one store and found exactly what I was looking for at a bargain price. One more thing off my list of “things to do”. We then met with some friends who came down on the Saturday for Fondue at the Grizzly House. And then on Sunday, we took our time and headed back to the city.

Being out of town really helped us get into another “space in time”. It was great for the psyche. Things seemed different. Our problems far away, and together we managed to be husband and wife. What a blessing; what a beautiful gift.

We returned home, and Monday morning turned into a nightmare. The pain was unbearable. My energy was non-existent. I could hardly hold myself up, and I found myself constantly whimpering. Every movement was painful. I wanted to die. I wanted to give up. For three days I suffered. (I’m not one for anger, but for the first time in years, I chucked a bunch of shit against my bedroom wall. I was set off by a bagel ordered from Tim Horton’s that arrived completely WRONG. Wrong type of bagel, wrong type of cream cheese…they even f*ck*d up on the COFFEE…I have to say, it felt good. I didn’t break anything. I kinda wish I had, but didn’t want to leave poor Tony to clean up a “real” mess). Anyhoo, sorry about the mild tangent…

SO, we brought in my doctor and nurse. They assessed the situation, upped my pain medications and things have been a little better. My lower back is still an issue…but it’s much better. I sometimes feel that if this cancer wasn’t in my back, I could tolerate this journey much better. However, it is what it is. I’ve got to accept it. There’s nothing I can do about it.

Some days I’m carried by calm and healing waves. Other days I’m taken by riptides - thrashed into the cold water, pulled far from shore, patiently waiting for the release so I can swim back to the beach and regroup. Just like you can’t predict the waves of the ocean, you can’t predict the tides of cancer either.

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