When Paul Stevens was asked to crack a raw egg over his own head, his response was a solid yes. His wife Donna Stevens was also the first to volunteer as official egg cracker.
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It may seem like a silly practical joke but the egg cracking was a heartfelt tribute to their late son Steven.
Steven was 31 when he lost his battle with cystic fibrosis in 2014.
“I found out at the six-week baby check-up that Steven had cystic fibrosis,” Mrs Stevens said.
“He was given until two to live, but he was a fighter.
“We took every day as it comes.”
Steven would go on to live a happy, jam-packed life of adventure until March 1, 2014. Since that tragic loss the family from Woodberry in the Hunter have slowly put themselves back together and now work to raise both money and awareness for the genetic disease. That is where Crack A Cure comes into the story.
Two sisters from Western Australia, Isobel and Ruby Donaldson, have created their own fundraising campaign for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and set a challenge to the world. The sisters both have CF and wanted to do something positive for the month of May.
Much like the ice bucket challenge, Crack A Cure involves cracking an egg on video, making a donation to the CF Foundation and challenging others to do the same.
“We absolutely want everyone to get involved,” the girls’ father Gerard Donaldson said.
“The girls like watching all of the different cracks.”
Paul Stevens has answered the challenge and with the help of wife Donna and daughter Ashley Stevens, cracked half a dozen eggs over his head and on video.
Now he is challenging the people of the Hunter to get involved.
“May is 65 Roses, which is cystic fibrosis awareness month,” Mr Stevens said.
“Steve has been gone for two years and two months now.
“We promised him we would help and I think this is a great way to do it.”
To get involved:
1.Crack an egg any way you can think of and take a photo or video of it. Be creative and have fun with it, but most of all keep it safe so no one gets hurt.
2.Post the image or video onto social media and use #crackacure
3.Challenge three or more people and tag them into your post inviting them to the Crack for a Cure
4.Make a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation here.
“Steve would love it,” Mr Stevens said.
“He would be the one doing it if he was here. We’ve lost him and we suffer every single day, but doing this is like releasing a relief valve.
“We are keeping his legacy going. But now it is your turn to to help.
“Crack A Cure and help us find a cure for cystic fibrosis.”
For more details about cystic fibrosis click here.
THE FACTS
May is the month dedicated to raising awareness of Cystic Fibrosis. Under the title ’65 Roses Campaign’, the challenge is to raise $65, 000 to provide care to children and young adults living with CF and to fund research that will one day, find a cure for this devastating disease.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease, which affects nearly 4,000 children and young adults living in Australia.
It is as common as childhood leukaemia. More than 95 per cent of cases of childhood leukaemia are cured, there is still no cure for cystic fibrosis.
