TORONTO – A young woman battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma has taken to Twitter with the hashtag “#CureForCourtney” to try to rally supporters and celebrities alike to help raise the $600,000 required for a possible cure.
Courtney Render, a McGill University student from Toronto, has been battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for the past two years, and is attempting raise the money to pay for a stem cell transplant in the United States.
“She’s tremendously caring, giving, vibrant, beautiful, sensitive young lady,” said Todd Render, Courtney’s father.
Courtney was initially put on a trial drug, only administered in Detroit, after her body reacted negatively to two cycles of chemotherapy, and four weeks of radiation.
Along with her parents, Courtney would drive to Detroit every 21 days to receive the treatment.
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Though she is currently in remission, Courtney is not cured, and her family has now turned their hopes to an allogeneic stem cell transplant in the United States.
“There is a very large rush on this,” Todd Render said.
On Sunday, Courtney along with her mother flew down to Baltimore to undergo tests for the transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
According to Todd Render, doctors at Johns Hopkins say they must work quickly as there could be a higher rate of success when the cancer is in remission.
Courtney will have to be there for between two to four months, depending on the success of the treatment.
“We are all excited to put this all behind us and move on with our lives,” Todd Render said. “Our lives have just been a whirlwind.”
Due to the almost prohibitive amount of money required for the transplant, friends and family of Courtney’s have taken to Twitter and Facebook with a list of “targets,” or celebrities, they have chosen to try to make the initiative to help Courtney go viral.
“We have to go out for the public’s help,” Todd Render said. “It’s a tremendous amount of money, but it’s my daughter’s life at stake.”
In the last 48 hours, Todd Render said, the campaign has gone viral.
Supporters of Courtney are not just relying on Twitter and online donations though, as they are holding several events across the Toronto to help raise money for the struggling girl.
You can find more information about Courtney at www.thecureforcourtney.com
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