*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you so much!*
Being in Phoenix for Wrestlemania weekend is pretty busy so far and it is only Friday evening. Last night Roman had an autograph signing and then had an interview early this morning. He had numerous radio appearances today and he has a lot on Monday. He has at least 2 more autograph signings and has to do some Question and Answer things at Axxess. Last night I worked at our stand for Tayla's Hope selling rubber bracelets and t-shirts. I sold quite a few of them. I of course have been wearing my mask and washing my hands frequently; hand sanitizer has become my best friend. With my immunity down I really want to be as cautious as possible. Oddly enough a few people had me autograph their t-shirts. I have never given my autograph before and didn't think I was that special as well as taking pictures with some of the fans. I just can't get over the overwhelming support of the fans though. It has been crazy. I got more get well cards and more gifts. It helps me feel a little bit better since I know I have to continue getting chemo. My kids have also been good sports about our busy schedule this weekend but then again they are hanging out with a lot of their cousins from Roman's side of the family making it a lot easier for them to have fun at Axxess. I am just thankful for Roman's family being there otherwise my kids would be bored out of their minds since Roman is off doing his thing and I'm doing mine. Right now Roman and I are getting ready to go to the Tayla's Hope Benefit dinner. He originally wanted to have it before the Hall of Fame Ceremony tomorrow night but we thought it would be better to have it tonight instead. "You look good," I say as I help him with his tie. He does look pretty good in his black tuxedo, a white shirt underneath and a pink tie with a pink ribbon pinned to his jacket.
"Thank-you," he says with a smile, "so do you," he says with a smile as he leans down and kisses my lips softly before he looks at me again in my black one strap sequined dress that falls to my ankles with my matching black heels. I also have the pink ribbon pinned to my dress with a pink scarf over my head. "Do you know if Chelsea is coming tonight?"
"I don't know," I say. "I haven't talked to her for months. I know her mom and dad are coming in fact I know that Alex is planning on giving a bit of a speech tonight."
"Wonderful," he says as he wraps his arms around me. "I love you, Tayla and this is all for you and getting your story out there so that people are aware that breast cancer can happen to anyone. You're never too young to start checking for it."
"If it wasn't for you that night I don't think I would have ever known about it," I say honestly. It's the truth. If Roman and I weren't having sex that night and he wasn't so breast happy it probably would have gone a while before it was found. I'm just glad he used to be a breast man because I never bothered to check and didn't think I needed to.
"That's what I'm saying," he says. "People don't know to check. I'm glad I found it when I did."
"Me too," I say with a smile before I kiss his lips softly. "I love you, Baby. Are you ready to go?"
"I'm ready," he says with a smile as he takes my hand. We walk out of our bedroom in the hotel to the little room the kids are sitting down watching TV. "Are you three ready to go?" he asks.
"Yes," says Leilani as they all stand up. "Is this going to be boring?"
"No," says Roman, "There is nothing boring about making people aware of breast cancer awareness besides we have a job for you guys to do when the guests arrive."
"Okay," says Leilani. I got them ready before I got myself ready. Lia and Leilani look adorable in their dresses. Leilani is wearing a purple dress with sequins to the waist where the bottom flows out like a tutu with a big flower on the side of the dress. She wears a matching headband with a flower in her hair as Lia has the same outfit on but hers is pink. Joe is dressed just like his father. He is dreading tonight just because of the spotlight that is going to be on our family. He likes to hide back in the shadows. We take a family picture together before we walk out of our hotel and travel to the venue by limo.
When we arrive to the venue everything is so beautiful. I walk in and grow a smile on my face. The tables are decorated with a pink cotton table cloth, with a centerpiece of pink and white carnations in a vase with a pink ribbon tied around it. There are name cards at all the tables that have been reserved for WWE superstars, family, friends, celebrities and fans attending the event. I look at the name cards. They are white with the names written in pink with a breast cancer ribbon at the end. There is a long table off to the side with a pink table cloth, donation cards and the prizes for the raffle that Roman has set up. He took care of everything and it is beautiful. I am impressed he managed to get some signed wrestling memorabilia to raffle off as well as memorabilia from some sports teams such as NFL teams, NBA teams and MLB teams. He did a fantastic job. He checks to make sure the bathrooms are clean and ready for use as I instruct the kids to hand out donation cards to the guests as they arrive while some of Roman's friends are escorting guests to their tables. Roman went over the top but that's just what he does. The man is amazing. I look up at the stage area and see a banner that says Tayla's Hope on it with our logo. Everything couldn't be any more perfect than it is.
As our guests begin to arrive Joe takes their tickets from them while the girls give them their donation cards as Roman's friends escort them to their seats. It goes very smoothly. Once everyone is seated and comfortable my kids join Roman and me at our table with Roman's parents and his immediate family. "You did such a good job, Baby," I say with a smile as I look at Roman.
"I had to make it perfect. If we want people to donate we need to make a good impression," he says. "But thank-you is everything up to your liking?"
"It is," I say with a smile as the caterers begin to deliver food to the tables. "Thank-you," I say with a smile as they place plates of stuffed chicken breast, mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables on our table.
"What is this?" asks Leilani as she holds up a green bean. "I don't like green beans," she says with a face. All it took was for her grandfather to tell her to be polite in Samoan to put it down and remain quiet. My children know that if they are scolded in Samoan they better knock off whatever it is they are doing before they get punished and especially if it comes from Papa.
Once everyone is served their food Roman makes his way to the stage to welcome everyone to the dinner. He takes the microphone and turns it on. "I would like to welcome everyone here to the Tayla's Hope benefit dinner. I want to give you some insight to what Tayla's Hope is all about. As most of you know my wife has been diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy to kill off cancer cells to go into remission. The point of Tayla's Hope is to raise money for breast cancer research to find a way to prevent it or a way to cure it for the future generations so that they don't have to go through the process of radiation or chemotherapy. The other purpose is so that everyone knows that breast cancer does not discriminate. It doesn't' care if you're a male or female, young or old, white or black; it doesn't matter anyone can get it at any time and it is important to check your breasts regularly for lumps so that it can be caught in time. I know my wife has a few things she would like to say and I know there is a friend of our family that has something to say. We will also be having a raffle for the items on that table later in the evening. All proceeds of the raffle tickets will go toward the organization and toward breast cancer research funding. As you came in my two beautiful daughters gave you donation cards for you to fill out how much you would like to donate and once you do that there is a box on the table labelled donation cards for you to place them into. Enjoy your dinner and my wife will be up shortly to give a speech. Thank-you all for coming to support Tayla's Hope tonight." He places the microphone back on the stand and makes his way back to the table. "How was that?"
"It was good," I say with a smile as I rub his arm as he takes a seat. He is always trying to impress people so he always second guesses himself. I wish that he wouldn't do that. "Just relax everything is going to go smoothly tonight. I promise you did a wonderful job and you are doing such an amazing job with Tayla's Hope."
"Mama," says Lia, "Are we allowed to get raffle tickets for a prize?"
I smile at her and shake my head, "no, Lia, that is for our guests. What is it that you have your eye on?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to get a raffle ticket to give money to Tayla's Hope," she says.
"Do you have money?" I ask.
"Yes," she says putting her purse on the table. She unzips her purse and pulls out some money. "Here," she says handing me her money. "I don't know how much is there."
I start to count the money she gives me and there is over $25 there. "Where did you get all this money, Lia?"
"Um some from the tooth fairy and some is left over birthday money. I want to give it to you for Tayla's Hope."
"I'm not going to take money from my 7 year old," I say handing it back to her.
"You're not. I want to," she says with a toothless smile.
I look at Roman and he shrugs his shoulders. I guess if she wants to donate I can't really stop her at least she is using her money for charity but I still wish she would use it to buy something that she wants but at least her heart is in the right place. "Thank-you," I say with a smile as I take her money from her.
"You're welcome," she says smiling at me again. I love her smile and I love her generosity. If I would say any of my kids are going to change the world it is going to be Lia. She always has her heart in the right place and she's always so gracious. I love her giving nature. She would give the shirt off her back for anyone. That's just the kind of kid she is.
As I finish eating and the guests seem to be finishing up their meals I make my way up to the stage to give my speech. I am not one of those people that like to talk in front of a crowd which is kind of funny because I used to wrestle and my husband is Roman Reigns. It is hard to believe I get nervous when talking in front of a group of people. I look out at the tables and it is packed. There are a lot of people here. A lot of WWE superstars, a few celebrities and a lot of fans. I take the microphone off the stand. I take a deep breath as my hands start to sweat. I turn the microphone on and start to speak into it. My voice is shaky as I say, "Good evening." It gets everyone's attention and before I can go any further they start clapping for me. They don't have to clap for me. I take a deep breath as the clapping slows and then ceases. "I know most of you know me by now. My name is Tayla Reigns and I am the reason for Tayla's Hope. I am married to Roman Reigns and we have three beautiful kids together 7 year old twins; Atalia and Leilani and a son Roman Jr. who will be 6 years old on Sunday we also have three babies on the way set to come into the world in August. We couldn't be any happier that our family is growing. I just want to tell my story. In the middle of November a lump was found on my breast. I called the doctor the next day to let them know a lump was discovered in my breast. They scheduled me an appointment right away to get a mammogram and a biopsy. A couple days later my husband and I were called into the doctor's office for the results. The doctor informed us that I had breast cancer and it was stage 2. He made the suggestion that I get a lumpectomy as well as a double mastectomy to eliminate any chances of the breast cancer returning. I was devastated. I didn't' know what I wanted to do. At 34 years old with three small children and to find out you have breast cancer is a blow. I didn't know what to do or what to expect. I agreed to the mastectomy and underwent a double mastectomy on December 4. Although it was the best thing for me to do it was also one of the hardest things for me to do at the same time. I struggled with it for a couple weeks and struggled with my new appearance. I didn't' want anyone to see me but eventually I had no choice and here I am standing in front of you letting you see what the cancer took from me. It's hard but it doesn't devastate me anymore. The doctor mentioned I would have to begin chemotherapy to kill off any cancer cells that were left. I have been undergoing chemotherapy for the last 4 months and just found out I have to continue to undergo chemo because all the cells haven't been killed off. It has been a long road for myself, my family and for my kids. I just found out that my kids are at risk for breast cancer when they get older. It is absolutely devastating to me. I never want to watch my beautiful daughters or handsome son go through the same thing I am going through. Chemotherapy is harsh. It is supposed to make you better but to get better you have to go through hell. You endure 3 hours of sitting in a chair having medicine pumped into you, days of nausea and vomiting. You lose your hair and you are prone to nose bleeds. It is an ass kicking but in the end it is supposed to make you better but doesn't guarantee that the cancer won't come back so you could get it back and go through it all again. It's devastating. I know at the end of this road I am going to be healthy again but what I don't know is if I will have to go through this again later down the road. I hope that I don't but you just never know. It is a gamble," I say with tears in my eyes. "That's the point of Tayla's Hope so that we can raise the money needed to fund breast cancer research to find a cure for this so that no man or woman ever has to endure this so that our children and grandchildren don't have to endure this. If there was a cure chemotherapy wouldn't be there to kick our asses for us to fight and beat it just to have to go through it again. If there was a way to prevent it the generation of tomorrow would only have to get a shot to prevent it and never have to worry about the pain that it brings into your life. The day I found out I had cancer it tore my heart apart. It is crazy because that same week Roman and I were talking about having another baby and extending our family. Then the diagnosis happened. Cancer doesn't care who you are or what you planned. It can happen to anyone. I am 34 years old with 3 kids under the age of 8. I never expected to have cancer. I never expected it to happen to me. I didn't think it would. I thought it only happened to older people. I thought I didn't have to worry about mammograms or self-breast exams till I was at least 40. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be fighting breast cancer at 34 years old. Cancer just doesn't care if you're a mother of three kids and it doesn't care if you're 34 years old it is going to get you if it wants to. It is important to always check yourself and go for regular mammograms beginning in your 20's the earlier they catch it the better. I just saw my world crashing down wondering would I live to see 35 years old and will I be here to see my kids grow up? But because they found it when they did I will see my next birthday and I will see my kids grow up but it still doesn't mean it won't come back. This is why we need to find a way to cure this so those with cancer don't miss out on life. It's not fair to anyone to miss out on their kids growing up or miss out on years of their life. Something has to be done but it can't be done until there is enough funding to find that cure and to find a way to prevent the next generation from getting it. There has to be a way. We just need to find it," I say, "but the support and love you receive from friends and family is amazing. I have to thank the fans, my friends and my family for all the help and support they have given me through this. Including my husband who has gone above and beyond to make sure I am not fighting this alone. I love you, Baby," I say with tears in my eyes. "And I love you, Lia, Leilani and Joe." I place the microphone on the stand and make my way back over to the table. Roman stands up and gives me a hug and kisses my lips softly before my three kids gather around me to give me a hug. I can't get over how much love I feel from that room as everyone is up on their feet clapping their hands. It is beautiful.
I take my seat and the guests take a seat as Chelsea's mom; Alex makes her way up to the stage. I don't know much about her story but I do know that she has had a mastectomy and I know that her mom had breast cancer but I don't know much about her story. She grabs the microphone and begins to speak. "I think you would all agree with me that Tayla is a rockstar as she is going through such a tough time but remains so positive. We've all seen her Facebook page. She remains positive and optimistic through it all. You can see the love of her kids and the love of her husband and her family but you can see the love she has for her husband and family. I am obsessed with Tayla's page and obsessed on checking to see how she's doing. She always ends a post with something positive whether it be a Bible verse or a quote she shares with her husband. I look for pictures of her with her kids and family. I love to know how she's doing," she says with a smile. "For those of you that don't know who I am; I am Alexandra Batista and I am married to Dave Batista. We have some of the best children in our lives but they are pretty much all grown up now. Our baby is in college and just about to graduate. My mom was a breast cancer survivor. She underwent radiation and chemotherapy before it finally went away but years later she got it back again," she says with tears in her eyes. "When it came back the second time she decided she wasn't going to undergo the treatments again because they were so horrible and they made her feel worse. She decided to just let it take its course and within a matter of months she was gone because she didn't want to go through it again. And she shouldn't have had to. She shouldn't have had to go through it again and if there was a cure she wouldn't have had to. Just because you go into remission doesn't mean you stay there. It can always come back and most of the time it is hereditary which is the case in my family just like Tayla said it is hereditary in hers meaning that there is a chance our children are at risk to get breast cancer. A few years after my mom died I had discovered a lump in my breast. It was non-cancerous of course but the doctor informed me that next it may not be benign because I was at risk for breast cancer. I decided to have a mastectomy to prevent myself from developing breast cancer. It's not an easy thing to do and I know how Tayla feels. It is not easy at all. It's the best thing for a woman at risk or a woman that has breast cancer to do but it is the hardest thing as well. There has to be another way to prevent a woman from getting breast cancer than having her breasts removed. If there was money for it they would be able to find a prevention for it and a cure so that people don't have to go through it again. My own children; Chelesa, Ben, Jordyn, Josiah and Sicily are at risk for breast cancer; my grandchildren; Liberty, Langston, Jonah, Meilani, Michael and Sylvia are all at risk for breast cancer as well as my great-grandchildren. We need to find a cure so that these children don't have to go through what their parents or grandparents have gone through. And Tayla is right you're never too young to have breast cancer. You're never too young it doesn't care. Anyone can get it. We need to find a cure and we need to be aware that you're never too young to start examining yourself or getting a mammogram. You have to do what you need to do to protect yourself but without funding there is no way to stop it or a way to cure it. That's the hard part," she says. "We just need to find a way to cure it without grueling chemo sessions or radiation but without funding you can't do that."
She places the microphone back on the stand after she turns it off. She makes her way over to Roman and I. Roman and I stand up to greet her. She gives me a hug and says, "Tayla, I think you are an amazing mom and I think you are a rockstar for fighting the way you do. You have a beautiful family and I know you have gone through so much in your life. Chelsea has told me all about it and this is just one more obstacle you face. I strongly believe that a cure or a way to prevent breast cancer needs to be found because like I said my own children and grandchildren are at risk for it just like yours are. We need to do something for our precious babies. That's why Dave and I are donating $25,000 to Tayla's Hope," she says pulling out a check and handing it to me. My eyes grow wide as I see the check made out for $25,000. "I hope this makes a difference," she says giving me a hug.
"Thank-you so much," I say with tears in my eyes. "Thank-you so much."
"No," she says, "don't thank me. I'm only doing what we need to do to protect our babies from going through what we've gone through. Tayla. I love you, Tayla."
"I love you too, Alex," I say as I give her another hug. I cannot believe her donation. I am touched and blessed that she donated so much money to Tayla's Hope.
The rest of the evening Roman and I go around greeting those that came to the benefit dinner and we thank them for coming. It feels good to have so many people there and so many willing to donate to Tayla's Hope. We are really hoping to make a difference when it comes to breast cancer research. Our kids help draw the tickets for the raffle prizes as the night slowly comes to an end. It was a beautiful night and we met some very wonderful people including fans. Roman loves his fans and so do I. We have some great friends as well most of them anyway. As we finish helping to clean up before we leave we start walking out the door. I stop in my tracks as I see the one person that is supposed to be my best friend standing outside the venue. "Chelsea," I say.
"Tayla," she says with a small smile. Roman takes the kids back inside so that Chelsea and I can talk.
*A/N: What did you think of the Benefit Dinner for Tayla's Hope? Did Roman do a great job? Is he working hard? Does he deserve something special from Tayla? :) What did you think when Lia pulled $25 out of her purse to give as a donation? What were your thoughts on Tayla's and Alex's speeches? What did you think of the $25,000 donation Alex and Dave made to Tayla's Hope? Do you think the fact Tayla has breast cancer and Chelsea is at risk is what has made her so distant over the last couple months? How do you think the talk with Tayla and Chelsea is going to go? Please review and thank-you for reading.