Racing to Save Lives

It has been more than 10 years since I was diagnosed with Hairy Cell Leukemia. As some of you know, I first received chemotherapy treatment for HCL in the summer of 2002. It was back in 2002, while sitting in the hospital watching my chemotherapy meds drip, when I assured my wife, Jeananne, that all would be well and I boldly, naively and senselessly predicted that I would even run the NYC Marathon the next year. Jeananne immediately agreed with me and assured me that I would recover and accomplish the goal, but to this day, I'm not sure if she really believed me, believed in me, or was just humoring a dreamer.

You're reading this now because I'm one of the fortunate ones...I was able to train for and successfully run the NYC Marathon that year with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. While there was plenty of pain and sweat - and an injury during training, I was motivated to run for a higher cause, in honor of others who were fighting Leukemia and I raised funds to help ensure that they might have the research, facilities and medication they desperately needed.

This year...I'll run again (not the marathon - I'm thinking more clearly these days). Here's why I'm running:

After I needed another infusion of chemotherapy drugs more than a year ago, my sister-in law, Carolynn, and brother-in-law, Jesus, were inspired to run the Long Branch Half Marathon with TNT in my honor. They did an amazing job fundraising AND running and I'm indebted to them. I intended to run the race with them last year to support them, but I somehow forgot about my advancing age, pushed my legs too hard, too fast and injured myself. It's a new year, and Jesus has organized a new TNT team to run the LB Half Marathon. This year, I run in honor of Verona resident, Tyler Coppola, a first grade boy who attends school with my daughter, Alana, and is in the middle of his own battle with Leukemia. Tyler and others need us to fuel the cause. I'll be running for him, for others like him who are fighting every day, and for my TNT teammates, who are selflessly committed to finding cures for all of us. Please support us if you can. Thank you.

Tim