Teams are made up of individuals. Without them, there is no team.

Families are made up of individuals. Whether provided to us or brought into our lives for other reasons, family is what holds us together and melds us into who we are.

Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

I am on a mission-to help find cures and more effective treatments for blood cancers. To accomplish that mission, I’m participating in a sports endurance event as a member of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Team In Training. Like the other members of TNT, I will be raising funds to help find cures and better treatments for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma. I’m improving the quality of my life by participating and with your support, I can help improve the quality of life for patients and their families as well.

Whether you know me or not, you'll quickly learn that family is everything to me. In addition to my immediate family, be it the friends I've acquired or the loved ones I've held onto despite fractures in connections, the entire family I've developed makes my life better. There is nothing I can do in this life without the support of my family behind me.

So, quite understandably, I am touched by stories of families.

[As written by April] Dean Miles, age 66, was diagnosed with the cancer Multiple Myeloma in 2008. This is an immune system cancer that involves the plasma cells in bone marrow. It primarily attacks the bones causing bone weakness, fractures, and frequent infections, among other things. Dean suffered multiple hospitalizations as well as multiple fractures in his back requiring surgery when he was first diagnosed. Dean was told he had an aggressive form of multiple myeloma and statistically, had 3-6 months to live. But advances in chemotherapy and the introduction of new medication around the time he was diagnosed allowed Dean’s multiple myeloma to be well managed. After almost 4 years, he continues to thrive, and his myeloma is held at bay through the use of oral medication. Dean has been married for 38 years, and has two daughters and four grandchildren ranging in age from 19 to 2 years old.

One of those daughters is my best childhood friend April. I've known Dean most of my life; hearing that he was sick was almost as if my own father were ill. How frightening to read April's email to tell me the news, to tell me over the phone would have been too difficult. Knowing that he's still with us today is nothing short of a miracle. It has brought his entire family closer together, and given me a renewed appreciation for my own family ties.

How I long to have a family of my own; until such time I will continue to do what I can to make a difference in the lives of others. Last season you heard of my connection to Dawn and the family she left behind; this season is dedicated to Dean. Read more about my connection to this family on my blog at: http://runwithemmie.blogspot.com/2012/05/this-time-i-will-be-running-for-dean.html

Please make a donation in support of my efforts with Team In Training and help advance the research for cures. I will personally match 10% of all donations, and any and all amounts are greatly appreciated!