The Beginning
Last year I discovered passions for running and fighting Childhood Cancer, and this year Iâm uniting them to become a St. Jude Hero. To do this, Iâm promoting a fundraiser for St. Jude Childrenâs Hospital while training for the 2019 Wine & Dine 2-Course Challenge at Walt Disney World. This is a 10k race followed by a half marathon the next day.
This is my first fundraiser for St. Jude, and Iâve kicked it off with a donation of $428.18, a number which has profound significance to me and my family. On April 28th, 2018 (4/28/18), we were at Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas, TX when we received the life-changing news that our youngest son, had an extremely rare form of Cancer. A malignant tumor was growing between his bladder and spine and was partially wrapped around the latter. The Cancer had metastasized and spread to his lungs. Fortunately, his treatment proceeded effectively and efficiently. After four months of chemotherapy and a major spinal surgery, our son was declared Cancer-free. Thanks be to God! He was a tenacious warrior throughout his battle and was an inspiration to everyone.
RUNNING. Soon after the Cancer diagnosis, my older brother (love you dude!) encouraged me to ârun offâ my stress and anger. I am tremendously grateful for his advice. Running has helped to ease the gut-wrenching pain I was carrying with me. It has given me future goals to focus on instead of reliving the painful past. I had never run more than a few miles before, but I ran my first 5k in November and my first 10k will be in April. Since the beginning, my goal has been to run the Wine & Dine 2-Course Challenge as the grand finale. So, we have been planning a sort of âMake-A-Wishâ trip to Disney World that coincides with the W&D races. Then I discovered that I could run the races for St. Jude, and I felt like I had been led down this path for a reason: to raise money for fighting Cancer.
FIGHTING CANCER. Thanks to the countless people that wage war against Cancer every day, we have been blessed repeatedly with a sense of hope and peace. We will be forever indebted to these people, including doctors and hospital staff, charitable organizations, support groups, and especially other patients and their families. Now, I have an opportunity to give back. I am taking up the Wine & Dine 2-Course Challenge for St. Jude to help others whose lives have been forever changed by Cancer. With your donations, we can make a difference in fighting Childhood Cancer, even if itâs one child at a time. Will you join me?
Quick Facts About Childhood Cancer
- More than 10,000 children will be diagnosed with Cancer this year (about 30 every day)
- Cases vary significantly, but it is not uncommon for treatment to cost over $1,000,000
- More than 95% of survivors will have significant health issues later in life, usually as a result of treatment
- Good news: overall 5-year survival rates have increased from 60% to 80% since the 1970s
Quick Facts About St. Jude
- Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.
- Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since it opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90%, and they won’t stop until no child dies from cancer.
- St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children.
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Legs Mis