Loving Taylor

Hello all - hope you had a great Saturday. There is not a lot of change today. Taylor continues to feel better. She complains that her stomach hurts but then eats ice cream.....so, I think she is fine!!!!

A couple of my friends are running in The Team in Training 1/2 marathons and marathons over the next couple of months. Kerri Gilbertson, Shauna Johnson-Morales, Suzy Hochman, Kelly Grogan, and Chris Woolsey (I hope I have not forgotten anyone....sorry if I did). Chris's marathon is this weekend in San Francisco. He sent out an email a couple of days ago and I was so touched by his compassion and dedication that I asked him if I could share it on the blog. So....here it is:

Dear Family and Friends,

Several months have passed since you last received an email from me regarding my decision to join Team Trevor. If you’re receiving this email now, it’s because you have joined me in the fight against Leukemia – either by sharing personal experiences or by donating to my Team in Training fundraising site or by offering support and encouragement as I train for the upcoming marathon, or all of the above. We’re just a few days away from the marathon, so I thought I would provide you with an update on this journey, including some of the unexpected outcomes experienced along the way.

Fundraising: I will begin by saying how grateful I am to all of you for supporting me over the past several months. Over 90 families have made contributions to my fundraising site for over $6,200. It is an honor to be a part of a group who, in the face of a difficult economy, donated money to help advance the fight against Leukemia. I also wanted to commend those of you who joined the bone marrow registry. Thank you so much for your generosity and thoughtfulness.

Training: Bob (Trevor’s Dad), Ed, and I drove to Sacramento last night for the Team in Training pre-marathon meeting. We pulled into the dark parking lot, parked, got out of the car, and, toasted to a special moment. We had completed a long, hot summer of training. The 15, 18, and 20 mile training runs were behind us. The muscle strain in the back of my knee had been dealt with. I learned how to manage chaffing (not fun), hydration, and the mental complexities of running long distances. So last night we took a moment in that parking lot and acknowledged how far we had come. But that wasn’t what we toasted to. Yesterday was Trevor’s birthday - he would have been three years old. We toasted to Trevor – the reason we were all there. It was a very special moment, one that I will think about as I run the hilly 26.2 mile course in San Francisco this weekend.

The best of us: I read my friend Kristen’s blog every single day. Kristen’s blog tells the story about the daily events that accompany her daughter Taylor’s fight against Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Kristen is incredibly honest in her writing, sharing the intimate details her family experiences each day fighting this disease. Kristen’s writings of hospital life, chemotherapy, measuring blood counts, worrying about infection are similar to the experiences of my good friends Angela and Bob when their Trevor battled AML. What is also similar is the incredible response from the community. In practically every blog entry, Kristen thanks somebody for something special they have done. I am continuously amazed by how people rise to the occasion when challenged; whether it’s the strength and bravery Kristen provides her family or the generosity of support, time, or money offered by friends, family, and even strangers.

I will be running the marathon this weekend knowing that I have the support of a huge team of friends, family, and colleagues – each of you – who made a pledge to help save a life. I will be running the marathon this weekend in your honor, and in the honor of Trevor and Taylor. Thank you.

To all of our friends that our training for these events.....thank you SO much. The money you are raising will hopefully help find a cure for this terrible disease. That all of you would think of training and running on behalf of Taylor means the world to us.

Thank you again to everyone for their support, prayers, donations, and love. We would not have made it through this without out all of you!

Good luck this weekend Chris.....

Love,

Kristen