Racing to Save Lives

Welcome to my Team In Training home page!

Hello all! I'm Heather, a 27 year-old graduate student about to graduate with my Masters in Social Work (in December!) after which I plan to spend my days working with children with cancer, and the rest of my time chasing after my two boys, Jack (2.5 years) and Oliver (9 months). My husband, Tyler, and I have spent the past few years taking our masters classes and raising our sons. Apparently I either hate sleep or have forgotten what it is, because I'm now training to run/walk a half marathon!

I'm training to participate in the Walt Disney World half marathon event as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I am completing this event in honor of my friend Sally's daughter, Danae. Danae was diagnosed with leukemia two years ago, and thanks to amazing medical advancements, and sheer determination, Danae is in remission today! She will celebrate her fourth birthday shortly after I complete the race.

Danae and all the other people who are battling cancers are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission. Every little bit counts!

I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. I'll be training over the next six months, and the knowledge that I am doing something to benefit the cancer community helps me get up for those (very) early Saturday morning training sessions. Thanks for your support!

UPDATE 8.25.08:

Training is going well! I ran/walked five miles with the team on saturday morning. I had to set my alarm for 5:30 am. OUCH! And now I'm a little sore from the running, but it's worth it! My team is slowly but surely plugging away with the fundraising, but we need more help! Any amount that you can give is greatly needed.

My resolve to raise money for cancer research has been renewed over these past two weeks. I found out that, unfortunately, my soon to be sister-in-law, Melissa, has stage four brain cancer. She successfully had her brain tumor removed, and has started chemo and radiation to kill the cancer. She and Curtis' lives have been turned upside down in an instant. This is the effect that a cancer diagnosis has on families. It is frightening and devastating. Please keep Curtis and Melissa in your thoughts and prayers as they fight through this next step on her road to recovery.

Everyone deserves to recover from cancer, you can help make that happen!