Strength Series: Kelli's Story

Owl Be Sweatin’ is honored to officially announce The Owl Be Sweatin’ Strength Series!

Cancer has many faces – your mother, father, sibling, child, neighbor, co-worker, friend or even a complete stranger. 

Owl Be Sweatin’ nominated three women who’ve displayed the utmost courage, bravery and strength and who have dealt with their cancer in the most inspirational, positive-spirited way you could ever imagine. 

The Owl Be Strength Series was born to GIVE FORWARD and to encourage people, who want to help (because people do genuinely want to help, but don’t know how to contribute).

Over the next few days, Owl Be Sweatin’ will be tapping into the personal lives and sharing the stories of Megan Bailey, Emily O’Reilly and Kelli Woodstock. Their stories are truly touching and hope they inspire you to join us in making a difference by helping out these women and their families and ease this extremely difficult chapter of their lives.

Owl Be Sweatin’ has created a custom headband for each of these women, now available for purchase.

Owl Be Sweatin’ will be donating back $7 of every OBS Strength Series headband sold to each of these women’s personal funds to help them with all of their medical expenses.

Kelli’s Fund

What are you waiting for? GIVE FORWARD now and represent your OBS Strength Series with pride and hope.

Kelli’s Story [Creating Hope with Survival]

Beastmode

In May of 2014, I started experiencing strange symptoms that didn’t seem to make sense.  The first “episode” occurred over Memorial Day Weekend just after I had finished “The Murph”, an intense CrossFit workout.  Over the next few weeks, I continued to have strange symptoms such as “whooshing” in her ears, light-headed/dizziness, increased anxiety and headache; just to name a few. I went to my general physician who more or less dismissed me and sent me on my way with a “diagnosis” of vertigo, which I knew couldn’t be right.  After experiencing these intense "pressure-like" headaches, which were accompanied with extreme nausea, I was finally convinced that I needed to go to the ER.  The ER physician immediately started an IV of steroids and fluids, and ordered a CT Scan…which ultimately revealed a tumor in the right frontal lobe of my brain.   I was transported from Bethesda North to Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati to be admitted to the Neurosurgery ICU for surgery the following day (Friday, July 18th). My surgeon, Dr. McPherson, was able to perform an incredible surgery and remove nearly the entire tumor in my right frontal lobe.  On July 23rd I went back to the MayField Clinic to see Dr. McPherson and receive the pathology results, which revealed that I have Glioblastoma Multiforme, which is a Grade IV Brain Tumor. 

I started the treatment process in August which consisted of 6 weeks of radiation (Monday-Friday) and 6 weeks of daily chemotherapy.  I am currently on cycles of Chemotherapy which involves 5 days of Temodar followed by 23 days off which I repeat monthly and I have MRI's every 3 months to monitor any growth of cancer cells that were not removed in surgery. 

I said that I get strength from my family but that goes beyond blood family. For everyone who has stood beside me in this journey, I thank you. You walk through the darkness with us, not because you choose to. I was drafted, but you enlisted. I recognize and appreciate the difference more than words can ever say. YOU are my hero, my support, and my reason for fighting. Every victory is yours as much as mine.

Love and Sunshine,

Kelli

Proud Partner of the Cincinnati Reds

Owl Be Sweatin' is pleased to announce that they have partnered once again with your Cincinnati Reds!  They will be setting up shop in the Fan Zone for Bark in the Park on MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015 when the Reds take on the Brewers. 

Itinerary:

5pm: The Dog Gates will open at the corner of Joe Nuxhall Way and Merhring Way.

5pm-5:35pm: Registration table for Dog Contests is open

5:40pm: Dog Contests begin on Kroger Fan Zone Stage

6:15pm: Line begins to form for the on-field parade (one owner per dog)

6:33pm: On-field parade begins (one owner per dog)

 7:10: First pitch, game time!

You will find Owl Be Sweatin' in the Fan Zone, located on Joe Nuxhall Way -- the Reds Hall and Museum is where you can find the gate to enter the Fan Zone.  OBS will have a 10x10 branded white tent. 

At the game, we will be offering exclusive Reds-themed headbands and even a treat for your dog that you won't want to miss! 

Proud Partner of the March of Dimes

[my first and only child may have had a small beginning, but she is living proof that miracles do happen and tiny babies can make a big difference]

By: Owl Be Sweatin’ Co-Owner, K.C. DeBra

Every year, over a half a million babies are born prematurely in the United States, and numbers continue to increase at an alarming rate. The March of Dimes’ organization continues to work extremely hard to find answers so that all babies can be healthy and have their full nine months.

Expected on November 2nd, 2010, Alya Marie DeBra instead decided to grace us with her presence on July 31st, three months too early. She weighed a surprising 2lbs, 3oz.  Ayla may have had a little extra weight on her side, but she was extremely sick.  Since she was about 10 weeks early, she could not breathe on her own, and immediately began to face many challenges caused by ‘leaky lungs’, an air bubble compressing her tiny heart (preventing her to pump oxygen to her blood), a heart defect, heart murmur, respiratory issues and reflux (just to name a few).  

I recalled dreaming of the moment I would meet my first child, holding her in my arms right after birth and feeling that overwhelming sense of happiness and joy.  Unfortunately, that’s not how it went. My world was turned upside down on July 11, 2010, just at 23 weeks, when I stepped into my laundry room coming home from a relaxing day with my husband at his parents’ pool.  My amniotic sack ruptured, causing my water to break and for me to lose all my fluid.

After being transferred via ambulance from Bethesda North Hospital (Cincinnati) to Good Sam Hospital (Cincinnati), I was put on strict bed rest and lots of drugs to keep me pregnant.  After nearly a month in the hospital, I contracted an infection and Ayla’s arm was crowning my cervix.  It was time to get her out – emergency c-section.

For my husband Ryan and I, it would be over a month before we could hold and cuddle our beautiful little girl. And so the ride began – a roller-coaster we never expected to take.

Her first day of birth, we stood in the NICU by Ayla’s incubator and were told by the head neonatologist at Good Sam to prepare ourselves, that with Ayla’s health conditions she simple and statically could/would not survive.  After seven operations (four chest tubes), several blood transfusions, heavy diuretics and lots of LOVE from everywhere, she pulled through the first week.  She then managed to get through the second week, the first month (when we finally got to hold her!), the second month and we were happily surprised to hear Ayla Marie would be coming home on November 2nd.

After a several days in the NICU, Ayla went home with us.  To us, she was still extremely fragile – she required in-house monitoring and oxygen assistance 24/7 for six months.  We were able to go outside in May of 2011 and Ayla also had heart surgery a Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in December of 2011. Amazingly, Ayla has no long-term effects of her extremely premature birth.

Today, Ayla Marie is a vibrant, healthy 4-year-old with the energy of a firecracker.  She loves to swim, do anything outdoors that requires getting filthy, use her imagination and play with all of her cousins!

 I truly believe that the reason Ayla decided to brace us with her presence so early was to let people know that even the tiniest babies can make the biggest difference.

I also think this was a hidden blessing for me (I would have never thought while going through the process), but I have learned to be a voice for other mothers struggling though the same issues I did and I’m eager to talk to them, help them, support them in any way and provide them with a sounding board.

Thanks to God, the wonderful medial team at Good Sam Hospital and our support network of family, friends and complete strangers, Ayla is perfectly healthy.  A true miracle, gift from above.

the promo:

Now through June 1st, when you purchase any 2 (two), regular-priced items, you will received the limited edition March for Babies headband FREE. In addition, a portion of all headband sales will be donated back to the March of Dimes to ignite the fight to make babies stronger and healthier. 

To recieve your FREE March for Babies headband, follow these three easy steps...

1. Visit owlbesweatin.com and go to the 'Shop' page.  Click on the 'Limited Edition' section and add the March for Dimes headband to your cart (LEMOD).  

2. Add any other 2 (two) regular-priced headbands to your cart of your choice!

3. When checking out, be sure to enter code: MFB15 to receive your March of Dimes headband FREE! 

Scoutin' and Sweatin'

What’s even better than headbands? GIRL SCOUT COOKIES! Even the hardest working athletes need to take a “cheat day” for some Girl Scout cookies.

On Saturday, March 21st, a local Girl Scout troop took a field trip over to the OBS Headquarters located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The young ladies were taught a lesson on production and fulfillment of orders. Then, they were given a “behind-the-scenes” tour of the office, a background into the business, and a fun group project. To top things off, the girls were able to show off their creativity by styling their own photo shoot!

From Owl Be Sweatin', thank you girls again for coming in to see the OBS Headquarters!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! We are so lucky to have your support as we kick off this new year with new patterns and designs.

Shopping in-person is the perfect way to find the perfect look for you. Owl Be Sweatin’ frequently attends shows to show off our headbands that you can’t find online! These looks are exclusive to the people who come out to see us at our booth. This week we are attending two shows near you. Tonight, Wednesday, January 20th find us in West Chester at Mojo Running from 7pm-9pm. This is the perfect Ladies Night Out to support Mojo Running Group.

Then on Thursday, January 21st we will be at Elements Conference and Event Centre with Cincy Chic from 6pm-9pm to celebrate their 8th Birthday! We would love to meet each and every one of our Owl Be lovers.

We will see you all tonight and tomorrow night for exclusive patterns you won’t find anywhere else!