Harold and Laarni have teamed up yet again with Team in Training (TNT) and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) to help the fight against all forms of blood cancers. Harold will enter his 3rd season with TNT and his 2nd as a cycling mentor. He will help support and motivate other TNT participants to complete a 100 mile bike ride in Solvang, California on March 12, 2011.

Laarni has volunteered with TNT in many ways in the past, mostly in support of the cycling team. But this time, she is going to participate in an event herself. Laarni will train to do an Olympic distance triathlon which is a .93 mile swim (64 lengths of a pool), 24.8 mile bike (almost a marathon) and a 6.2 mile run(25 times around the track) –ALL IN ONE DAY! Her event, the Lavaman Triathlon takes place on April 3, 2011 in beautiful Kona, Hawaii.

We have seen firsthand how blood cancers have hurt and even take the lives of people we love. Harold’s stepfather, Jose Munoz, Jr. (aka Uncle Joe) was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma on July 4, 2006. He was a seemingly healthy person. Right before a family vacation, Uncle Joe became sick but we thought it was just the stomach flu!

Unfortunately, Uncle Joe’s cancer was so advanced that he spent the last month of his life in a medically induced coma because the pain was so unbearable. It was so painful to watch Uncle Joe and Harold’s mom struggle through this fight. Uncle Joe passed away on September 4, 2006, just 10 days before our youngest daughter, Kailie was born. The thought that he never got to meet his youngest grand-daughter saddens us but whenever we think back to that time, it was his passing that brought the entire family back to San Jose in order to be present at her birth. That was the type of man Uncle Joe was…he was a selfless, caring and loving person who we miss greatly. We wish we knew about LLS and TNT back then. It may not have changed the end result but we’ll never know.

The next 5 months will not only be challenging physically for the both of us, but logistically, we will also have some hurdles as we juggle training, careers, kids’ homework, and of course family time (we have 4 kids all under the age of 11). But those are all easy challenges compared to those who have to battle cancer and have to deal with chemotherapy, radiation, clinical trials, and/or other medical procedures due to complications from these blood cancers.

We met several individuals who, because of all the fundraising efforts, are in remission today. However, the disease still exists and until there is a cure, the medical research, education and patient support that are all funded by the monies raised by LLS needs to be supported.

We know it’s a tough economic time for all of us, but we hope you will consider making a donation to support our participation in TNT and help advance LLS's mission. No matter how much, every dollar helps the cause. We have until February 12, 2011 to reach our goal of $7,500, but please don’t wait until the last minute. In fact, get your donation in prior to year end and take advantage of the tax benefits (please consult your individual tax professional…sorry for the CPA disclaimer)!!

We'd also love it if you followed along with our progress so we are updating our blog. Feel free to check us out at http://fightcancerhd.blogspot.com/

Thank you so much for your support!

Harold and Laarni DeGuzman - AKA Team DeGuzman