Nov 06, 2011
It's hard to explain how my heart both breaks and leaps with joy every time I see a picture of her. She lit up every room she was in, carried every conversation, owned her world and made our hearts fill with happiness. It is hard to reconcile the feeling of extreme loss with good fortune of having known such a wonderful person.
I remember the day that Lindsay was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and remember crying for hours in one of the Duke libraries, trying to cope with the news. After a two-and-a-half year struggle, including numerous rounds of chemo, radiation therapy, and a stem cell transplant, Lindsay passed away on February 27th, 2011 at age 23. I now sit in the WashU Medical School library, again crying, after signing up for this race in her honor.
I know how truly fortunate I am to have had Lindsay in my life at all. She was a force. Smart, funny, and beautiful - she lived life with a purpose that I didn't understand until we went abroad together. In that semester, Lindsay showed me what living was. She wanted to experience everything and she wanted to include each and every one of her friends in every extraordinary experience that she had. As Helen described it, "Lindsay was the kind of person who says, 'yes.' Yes to life, to love, to possible successes, to possible failures, to adventure, to it all."
So, I am saying "yes" to this race and I am doing it for Lindsay, and all of those who are currently battling blood cancers. I had never planned on running a marathon, but I cannot imagine any better reason to do it.
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I have a mission-to help find cures and more effective treatments for blood cancers. To accomplish that mission, I’m participating in a sports endurance event as a member of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Team In Training. Like the other members of TNT, I will be raising funds to help find cures and better treatments for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma. I’m improving the quality of my life by participating and with your support, I can help improve the quality of life for patients and their families as well.
Please make a donation in support of my efforts with Team In Training and help advance the research for cures.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® (LLS) is a global leader in the fight against cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world, provides free information and support services, and is the voice for all blood cancer patients seeking access to quality, affordable, coordinated care. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all monetary donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by tax laws. Please check with your financial advisor if you have more questions.