Hodgkins Survivor Inspires with Spread The Love Birthweek Challenge

A random act of kindness – Lauraine Frank has been performing a series of them all week and in doing such, inspiring countless others to do the same.

“There has been so many people who have supported me … that I really wanted to pay it forward; share that kindness with the world,’’ Frank explained late Friday afternoon while on her way to drop off clothes for the needy.

On Saturday, July 20, Frank will celebrate her 30th birthday. It’s a milestone the Midtown resident wasn’t always sure she would be alive to experience. First diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma at age 21, the Walton High School graduate has since been diagnosed three more times.

The chemotherapy regimen, the blood transfusions, and last fall an allogeneic stem cell transplant that led to a four-month quarantine for Frank – it has been a part of a long and terribly hard journey that she chronicles in her blog. But support she has had and now for almost seven months, she’s been cancer free.

And so last week in an effort to thank those who had been there for her, she decided she would triumphantly celebrate her 30th birthday by performing 30 random acts of kindness during the week leading up to the big day. She gave her mail carrier cookies, brought donuts for those at her office building and has done many other acts of kindness.

Conceding that, “it’s been an emotional week,” Frank also started a Facebook page, asking others to join her in “spreading the love.” Wrote Frank:

“To thank the universe for all the love and juju given to me in times of need, I will be paying it forward by performing 30 random acts of kindness in the week leading to and through my birthday.

A random act of kindness (RAOK) is a selfless act performed wishing to either assist or cheer up an individual person or people.

I'm asking all of you to join me by performing your own RAOK as well. Bask in all the good karma of doing something to make someone's day without wanting anything in return. SPREAD THE LOVE!"

The response has been great as friends both old and new are posting at the site their RAOK and sharing on social media with the #spreadthelove hashtag. “It took off immediately,” she told Patch. “It’s grown far beyond my expectations, but I really want to keep it going.”

And so it will. A challenge that was originally set to end this weekend, has now been extended as she posted late this week at the site:

"I can't thank everyone enough. All of these RAOK are truly amazing. Due to many requests, I've extended the challenge until the end of July. And who knows what it will become after that!"

In honor of Lauraine Frank’s 30th birthday, or maybe a cancer survivor friend you know, what RAOK might you perform today and/or in the coming days. Please share your comments and photos of such.

Happy birthday Lauraine … and keep spreading the love!

Read more of Lauraine Frank's journey at: www.laurainessilverlining.wordpress.com