This past year has had its ups and downs for my dad, Jim Morris "Pop". He was given the gift of a granddaughter, Harper Morris, in May of 2016. But life can be strange and unpredictable. Only 3 months into my daughters life everything changed. A routine check up turned progressively worse over weeks, we all stayed hopeful that the end diagnosis was treatable. Through testing, the doctors came to a diagnosis, Acute Myleoid Leukemia (AML) and Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). Nothing can prepare a person for the life changes that were about to occur, especially for my Mom and Dad.

The next few months would be filled with aggressive chemo treatments, infusions and the support of family and friends. While confined for 30 days in the hospital during this first treatments, daily pictures of harper were hung in his room for encouragement. My mother rarely left his side; staying on top of every aspect of his care including questioning every aspect of his care. During his treatments there is only one word to describe my father, stoic!

During treatment his only request was to see Harper walk and swim. The second of the two was easy swim lessons. The first well we got lucky she walked at 9 months, after the past 6 months we needed some luck. It's about the only luck he has had, but none of it has changed his determination to fight.

Through all of his treatment the cancer levels have not reduced, however his willingness to try has not waivered. Recently the combination of chemo and the leukemia overhelmed his spleen causing a significant bleed, which luckily has stopped. The after affects were devistating and unexpected; the damage to the spleen resulted in the inability to complete any more treatments for his AML at this time. We still have our fingers crossed.

Without the ability to aggressively treat the disease he has focused on connecting and reconnecting with family and friends. All of our free days are spent enjoying each others company and focusing not on the future but the present! While he fights today, we want to run towards a better future. On May 27th, join us as we run to fundraise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at the Chick Fila 10K in Newport News, VA.

It takes more than one person to make up a team and that’s why I’m asking you to donate to my TNT fundraising page for Pop!  By participating as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) TNT, we are raising funds to help find cures and ensure access to treatments for blood cancer patients.  Your donation will help fund treatments that save lives every day; like immunotherapies that use a person’s own immune system to kill cancer. You may not know it, but every single donation helps save a life with breakthrough therapies such as these.

Please make a donation in support of POP with Team In Training and help get us all closer to a world without blood cancers.

Thank you! Enjoy the pics below!