A $25,000 gift from Kim and David Guidry will fund an endowed scholarship at the University of New Orleans to honor the life and memory of their daughter, Mindy Elizabeth Guidry, a UNO student who suffered from a rare form of bone cancer.
Mindy, a Gretna native, was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, but she continued to attend classes for another two years. During the final months of her life, she was paralyzed from the chest down and used a wheelchair to get around campus. Although she was a few credit hours shy of completing her bachelor’s degree, UNO allowed her to graduate in May 2007, and she received a BS in Business Administration. However, a little more than a month later, Mindy passed away at the age of 23.
Mindy had actively participated in fundraisers for cancer research, including Relay For Life, and raised thousands of dollars to help others suffering from the disease. Since Mindy’s death, her family has held two fundraising events, appropriately called “Min-Day.” The Guidrys hope the Mindy Elizabeth Guidry Memorial Scholarship will enable students to realize their dreams of obtaining a college education.
“Mindy remained positive and continued to go to class even though she knew she was dying of cancer,” Kim Guidry said. “We felt a responsibility to share Mindy’s story to honor her courage and inspire other young adults to let them know that they can succeed regardless of the problems they encounter. The loss of Mindy was so painful to our whole family. The only way we knew how to handle the void was to do what she did by remaining positive and dedicating our lives to doing good through a memorial scholarship and a nonprofit organization in her name.”
The Guidrys founded the nonprofit organization to raise money for the endowed scholarship and bone cancer research. They are currently planning for the third annual “Min-Day.” For more information on the memorial fund, visit: www.mindyelizabethguidrymemorialfund.org.