My Fundraising Page

Racing to Save Lives

Hey Everyone! Thanks for visiting my page for Team in Training!

So, who would have ever thought that I would be training for a marathon, right?? Well, motivation for me came from a myriad places, but one person was the deciding factor.

My grandmother, Francis (Fran) Hamilton, my Dad's mother, was diagnosed with stage 4 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma when I was only 12 years old. It was August of 1999. She went through chemotherapy and radiation treatments, got weaker and weaker, she even lost her hair.

After months of fighting, our entire family came together for Christmas that year. My Amma got to see all of her children and grandchildren reunited after years of being apart. I think she was waiting for that moment because she knew. She made it through New Years and got to see the year 2000. Shortly after, she was admitted to the hospital and she died on January 4th.

It�"s been nine years, but I still remember her so clearly. She taught me how to put my hair in curlers, sew an apron, bake cookies, all essential skills for a young lady to learn. At her house, though, I also learned how to play in the mud, build forts and barbeque, so I guess it all evens out.

I still miss her terribly.

In the past, I have donated to the Lymphoma Research Foundation and I�'ve written essays about how cancer has affected my life, but I have never been a part of an organization that is so committed to making sure you know you�'re not in it alone.

I met my roommate Nathalie Reginster two and a half years ago. We were thrown together in the dorms at San Jose State and at first, thought we could not be more opposite. We were awful to each other the first few months, but one night we stayed up talking until nearly 3 a.m.

As it turns out, we had more in common than we thought. Around the same time my grandmother was fighting for her life, Nathalie's mother was fighting for hers. She had the same type of cancer, Non-Hodgkin�'s Lymphoma. She had been battling it longer than my grandmother though, off and on for several years. Each time, the doctors thought they got it all, but it kept coming back.

Nathalie was only 18 when she died. No girl should have to say goodbye to her mother that young. I don�'t know what I would do if I lost my mom.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society raises millions of dollars every year through programs like Team in Training. This program has been around for over 20 years but even nine years ago, the technology and the research was not there to help save my grandmother, and the support system was not large enough to help Nathalie�"s family. But today, because of your donations, the LLS is able to provide money for research to find a cure and they are also able to give money to patients and their families to help survive the high cost of health care.

26.2 miles is a long haul and I have definitely never been the most athletic person on the track. But I know running a marathon is nowhere near as painful as chemotherapy and radiation treatments. It is nowhere near as painful as the loss of someone close to you. I�"m doing this so that another little girl can have her mother and grandmother see her graduate from high school, from college, walk down the aisle and so they too can have a fuller life.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope I have inspired you to support my cause. I know this economy is awful. Let�'s face it, I can�'t even afford to pay my PG&E bill. In spite of all that, Team in Training dared me to commit to them and now I am daring you to commit to me. Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training. Every little bit helps (I mean it!).

I hope you will visit my website often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. I�"ll be posting pictures of me going through all the training. That alone should a give you a nice laugh!

Thank you again for all your love and support. It really means the world to me.

-Megan Hamilton