My friend Amanda wrote the following for the blog and I wanted to share it with you all :) Her and I have been through many of life's battles together throughout the years, along with quite a few laughs and ridiculous moments. I am blessed to have so many amazing friends who are taking the time to support such an amazing cause! Love you all!
I never understood running. Cardio is not my cup of tea,
cardio does not do my body good and cardio usually makes me cramp in muscles I
didn’t even know I had. However, to others running is their feel good, their
drug. To these people, I call them crazy. Strait-jacket crazy, that is.
I wish I had the passion to run. I wish I had even the
slightest interest in running 26 some miles, or even one mile for that matter.
But, that’s where Sarah comes in. She has the passion, the dedication and the
talent to run like a damned fool for 26.2 miles. The best part? She isn’t doing
it for herself. She is doing it to help fund research for a disease that
develops daily within innocent people. To help those whose lives have directly
and indirectly been affected by that awful word. To find an answer. To find a
cure.
Cancer has made its Oscar winning performance a few too many
times in my life.
Vince and I met at the YMCA lifeguarding when I was a
wee-tyke. He is a couple years older than me, but we clicked. At first, Vince
was my crush. I oogled at him and drooled as any 15 year old girl would do. It
wouldn’t take long for me to discover that Vince would become a lifelong
friend. The friend that tells how it is, the friend that will punch you in the
arm for being a girl, the one that will say the guy you are dating isn’t good
enough for you and the friend that despite anything happening in their life, they
are never too busy to listen.
In the end of December, Vince was diagnosed with testicular
cancer. He had surgery in the middle of January to have masses removed and a
few weeks later would find out the cancer had spread into his blood and lungs. Doctors
started aggressive chemo treatments pretty quickly after discovering the
severity of his cancer.
I don’t fear the outcome with Vince. I know he will make it
through this battle, but it will be just that, a battle. To him, this is road
bump in life. I’m a little more dramatic about it, because for starters I am a
female, but also because I consider Vince to be a part of my family. Things
like this aren’t planned. There is a plan once they do happen, but even then,
nothing is concrete. I wish he didn’t have to go through this, I wish he could
continue his everyday life as if he was a twenty-some-year-old man. But, he
needs to be careful of what foods he eats, who he comes into contact with and
how active his body allows him to be. He doesn’t view his diagnosis and
treatment as anything more than that. It is something to beat, something to
hurdle and then life will go back to normal. His positivity shines through and
I know he will show cancer that nothing can bring him down.
However, about 9 years prior to this, my life would have its
first introduction to the world of cancer.
The man I will forever look up to was taken from
us just 3 months after being diagnosed with cancer. My Grandpa was one of the
first men I would love (next to my father, of course). He taught me how to
golf, how to say please and thank you, how to forgive, how to pray to God, how
to be a girl, how to mow a lawn, how to dream but most importantly, he taught
me how to love. We all know the relationship a Grandpa has with his first granddaughter.
The bond is unbreakable and the love is unconditional. He couldn’t tell me no,
but he sure would try.
Cancer broke a bond that I will never be able to relive, a
once in a lifetime love and a forever friendship that was taken far too soon.
Speaking of my Grandpa will forever bring tears to my eyes and knowing his
voice only remains in my memories is not my ideal situation—but I have been
blessed with some of my memorable life moments because of this man. That in
itself is pretty priceless.
Enough of my life.
Running in the Boston Marathon to any normal person is quite
the opportunity. Obviously, to Sarah, it means a lot. But, knowing Sarah for
all the years I have, her true determination for running this marathon and
raising the money for cancer research is in her big heart to do things for
others. In her selfless personality to give back. Since I’ve known this girl,
she’s wants nothing more than to make a difference in the lives of others. She
may enjoy to run (which is where we will always differ), but not as much as she
loves to help people.
Every donation gives cancer less of a chance. Every donation
puts research one step closer to a cure. Every donation makes a difference.
Every. Single. Donation.
Please, take the time to help this (crazy) girl reach her
goal and help cancer research find a cure.
Thank you again, Amanda, for writing this- and I ask all of you to please consider making a donation to day to bring us closer to a cure and a better future for others. Thanks for your support!
-S
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