Leah Dettling slipped into my life unobtrusively and quietly five years ago when she started coming along to church at the Vineyard in Brisbane. Four years ago, a few of my church friends pitched in to nurse Leah back to health after having surgery to remove a malignant melanoma from her leg. I didn’t really know Leah back then so I left her care in capable hands and got on with the busyness of my life, raising my three children, doing the thousand other things that seemed to squander my days. Part of it for me, to be honest, was the need to keep other people’s pain at arms length. I could barely handle my own. Distancing myself from others was a survival mechanism so I used my busyness as an excuse not to connect with others.

Things unravelled dramatically for me back in September 2008 when I lost a baby in an ectopic pregnancy and developed pneumonia. I realised the futility of putting objectives before the people I loved and such an outpouring of love came my way after that, it was hard to view life in the same way. I started to realise that connecting with others, while risky, was something I needed to do in order to regain my confidence, learn and grow.

Leah and I were church friends, and we were only just starting to get to know each other when she left Australia to start her winding road to Darjeeling, India. We’d pray for each other, provide encouraging prophetic words and share in each other’s joys and sorrows. We weren’t close friends but I always felt that one day we would be. When she left Australia, I quietly hoped that one day I could visit her in India and somehow contribute to the work she was going to undertake, bringing hope to a fragile region of the world.

When she left, we kept in touch and I looked forward to her one day returning to tell us fascinating tales of what God was doing in India and how He was blessing her work. Sadly, late last year, we received news that Leah’s cancer had returned. The cancer took over her body aggressively and ruthlessly and on Sunday night (Australian time) 24 January, Leah was taken from us.

So many thoughts cross my mind at a time like this, not least of which is the shock that cancer can dominate a person so quickly. It feels so wrong to be saying goodbye to someone who hadn’t even hit 29. Another thought is wonderment at Leah’s influence on the hundreds of people who she came into contact with. Her grace, strength, trust and hope impacted literally hundreds of people. I have no doubt that Leah’s legacy will live on in the lives of all she has touched.

When I heard about the cancer returning, I decided to do something to honour Leah and the struggle she has faced. So, I am participating in The World’s Greatest Shave on March 12 to raise money for cancer research and people living with cancer. It is no easy thing for me to shave off my hair. It is just past my shoulder blades and I’m not terribly secure about my appearance on the best of days. On the other hand, if losing my hair has a use, and can bring hope to others, it is an easy thing for me to do.

I aim to raise at least $1000 for The World’s Greatest Shave which is run by the Leukaemia Foundation, a registered tax deductible charity here in Australia. If you want to sponsor me, simply visit my sponsorship page at: http://my.imisfriendraising.com.au/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=313775.

Ps: If you want to donate towards the mission that Leah was to work on in India, please contact Leah’s mum, Maryrita at rmdettling76@hotmail.com or Leah’s pastor at the Vineyard church in Brisbane, Graeme at graeme@vcfbw.org.au for Paypal or postal details.