Day 26: Christopher Miller

Today we ran from Fayetteville to Farmville

 

I was partnered with Kim B. But we decided to run in groups again so sometimes we had a group of 4 or a group of 5. We were finished at 10:40!! It feels good to have accomplished running 12 miles before 11 in the morning. Most of my friends are probably still sleeping at that time.

When we got to Farmville, we went to the church and immediately got our things for showering. We were able to use the YMCA showers a couple miles away. They had made signs welcoming us to their gym! The white posters were made by the children at their day camps. Our whole team loved it! We really appreciate support from the communities we stay in. It means so much! The workers at the YMCA were all very interested in how we accomplish the running everyday and where we were all from. Back at the church, a member of their congregation made us dinner! And then we had a team powwow before heading to bed. 

3 more days! 

Total Miles: 244

Today was dedicated to a childhood family friend, Christopher Miller. My mom helped me with what to say today because Christopher passed away when we were very young. I remember having a friend that was sick and I remember some of the good times we had together running around and swimming in our back yard. As went through elementary school we used to get balloons from restaurants and we would let them go up to Heaven for Christopher to play with!

Christopher and my sister, Elizabeth

“We met Christopher in preschool when you guys were almost 4. If I remember correctly he had been diagnosed with leukemia at 18 months of age.  He had been thru all his treatment and was in remission when we met him. It was right around the five year mark that Colleen noticed Christopher was bruising easily, etc and took him in for a check up. His leukemia had come back.  They took I'm to Cleveland children's hospital for a bone marrow transplant but had to do one that wasn't a perfect match. He had complications from that and ended up having a liver transplant but he never left the hospital. He must have been around 6 and a half when he died because you guys weren't quite 7. At the time he was the Miller's only child. They now have two beautiful girls. We used to play with him a lot. He loved to come play in our backyard with all four of you. I think he liked the chaos at our house! We would go out to their farm too. Matthew would go out to fish in the ponds and play with their big dog Penny. I remember Colleen being afraid she would forget the sound of Christopher's voice. One day when her first daughter was a baby she and I went to lunch. The waitress was making over Allison and asked Colleen if she had other children. It was an awkward silence for a moment and then she answered, "yes. I have a son." I'll never forget how sad that seemed.”

It’s awful to lose a friend, even more awful to lose a child. Christopher was such a wonderful boy with a beautiful soul. He will never be forgotten. No life should be cut short due to an awful disease. We fight cancer together.

Day 24: Johnny & Day 25: Ray Davis and Gary LaSan

Day 24: Today we ran from Knoxville, TN to Gaffney, SC.

 I was partners with Sarah. Today was a rough day road wise. We began before the sun rose but it quickly became light out. We were going really slow today. Our rotation got out of whack when we had to switch roads due to a wrong turn. Sarah and I had only ran 6 miles and taken 2 driving turns by the time it was 11 o'clock!! 

We ran into a detour from the road we wanted to be running on. The detour had no shoulders. For our safety we decided to drive straight to Gaffney. Some people went running when we got to Gaffney. They went about 2 miles. I decided that since I was already cooled down and my muscles were tightening that it'd be best for me to call it a day.

Total Miles: 219

Today was dedicated to Johnny. He was a man we met at the Hope Lodge in Nashville. Johnny was there to begin treatment the next morning. Another girl at our dinner table was having her last treatment the next day. It was interesting to talk to both pairs and see how they were feeling.
Johnny had a brain tumor that was benign several years ago. It was a tumor that was able to be removed. Now Johnny was heading into 39 radiation treatments. He and his wife were from Memphis.

To all those patients out there, no matter where you're at in treatment, know that people are here for you. If it's your first treatment or your last, we will be thinking of you. As i ran today I thought of Johnny and his wife and how they must be feeling going into their second rounds of treatment. The idea of having two types of cancer in one lifetime and still being as positive as Johnny was that his treatment will work is what kept me going today. Our roads didn't quite work out as we had hoped; but sometimes things don't go according to plan. No one plans on getting a diagnosis of cancer. 

Day 25: Today we ran from Gaffney to Fayetteville. 

My partner today was Elizabeth. We cranked out our miles! By 930, Elizabeth and I were finished. Since we are both under 21 we didn't take a break for driving. We completed each segment in under 16 minutes. Sub 8 miles the whole day! WHOOO that felt good! :) As a van we finished around 11am and began our drive. We decided to take a trip to Charlotte to eat some lunch.
My friend, Nick, from WashU came to visit us at lunch. He couldn't stay long because he was flying to Germany to visit family. I forgot to get a picture... :/ But the team enjoyed Charlotte. We ate at Which Wich? The Manager was so kind and donated each of us a sandwich and a cookie!

Total Miles: 232

Today was dedicated to a woman I met on Day 2. Her name is Karri Davis. She supported our cause by donating to those that still need help raising funds and asked if I could run for her father. His name is Ray Davis. Mr. Davis passed away on June 23, 1973. Karri also asked if I could run for Gary LaSan. He is an elderly man that she takes care of. He is currently fighting colon cancer.

Karri- Thank you for your support and prayers! You have no idea how much our team appreciates it!! People in need of help are forever grateful of your service to them. I am sure you miss your father dearly and I know Mr. LaSan is glad to have someone so kind and caring to look after him. We are all in this fight against cancer together! 

Day 23: Theresa Hulsing

July 8th, 2013

Today we ran from Nashville, TN to Knoxville, TN.

My running partners were Sarah and Bethy. To start off the day we had to drive a little bit to get to roads we could run on outside of Nashville. Our van had a permanent driver so the rotation was different than normal because the running groups never had to drive. Having a driving helps us finish our miles faster. I was glad for that because it was getting very hot. The humidity in this area of the country is difficult for some of the team because they aren’t used to it. Luckily, at home I trained in very similar conditions.

After running we bought ourselves some food before driving the rest of the way to our host – The Episcopal Church.

Bethy, Myself and Sarah

There were 3 women that cooked us dinner. Everything made from scratch – stew, pasta salad and bread, cupcakes and angel food cake with fruit for dessert! YUMMY!

Total Miles: 213

Today was dedicated to Aunt Theresa. It’s her birthday today!

My Aunt Theresa was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer when she was 23 years old. Ovarian cancer is rare among women younger than 40, so this was a surprise to everyone. We don’t have any history of ovarian cancer in our family – why would such a young member have such a terrible disease?

Theresa was then living in Roanoke, VA. The moment we heard the news, mom and I drove down to VA. I’ll never forget getting to the hospital and going upstairs to see Theresa. She had to have a full hysterectomy in order to remove as much of the cancer as possible. Mom, Theresa and some of her sisters talked about options. It turned out that in order to be closest to some family and still receive good medical care, it was best for Theresa to move in with my family and go to the UK Markey Cancer Center in Lexington, KY.

Theresa lived with us for 2 years while she went through treatment.

As a teenager, it was hard to see someone in so much pain. She would have good days and bad days. I still remember when we shaved her hair off; my dad shaved his too. And we went wig shopping soon after. It’s hard to look back and remember things having been a third party. Mom would go to doctors’ appointments with Theresa like she was her own child. Theresa was basically an older sister to us four kids.

Since Theresa moved out, she has lived in a couple places but has found her way back to Roanoke, VA. She is healthy and in remission.

I love you Aunt Theresa. Even though I didn’t quite understand what you were going through years ago, I now know more. I am impressed by your strive to fight and win and I'm proud of you!

Day 21: Mom and Dad & Day 22: Nana

Today we ran from Evansville, IN to Nashville, TN. 

My partner was Molly! We left the church a little after 6am. They had baked up some bacon and egg casseroles for our breakfast!

Myself, Pam and Molly

A woman from the church that had worked very hard to get us GU donations from a local running store, joined Molly and I on our first 2 mile run. Pam said she has ran 3 half marathons in the past two years and began losing weight when she ran the first. She’s now dropped over 100 pounds!! She told us that if we ever get the chance to run a Disney half/full marathon to do it! Do it for fun she said. We let Pam pick up the rock and put in back into the van. Molly and I are so glad she joined us this morning. It means a lot to have supporters that try out what we are doing. Pam said she wouldn’t want to run that 5 more times and that she’s proud of what we are doing. These types of things are what keep us going. We know we are taking a little bit of pain away from someone suffering against cancer.

Molly and I finished up our 12 miles and let the rest of the van finish theirs before our van stopped for lunch. I say stopped but we didn’t go to a restaurant. We just wanted to take the cooler out of the van before opening it because it stinks! Our options for lunch were lunchmeat and bagels, PB&J and fruit. We then had 2 hours of driving to get to our host in Nashville.

My parents were waiting when we got to the church! I’m glad they came down to visit. I got my things, helped dad save a frog from the swimming pool, and left to go check in to their hotel with them. Mom, Dad and I then took a shuttle to downtown. We walked up and down Music Row and stopped in a couple places to hear some live music. Mom bought me some delicious popcorn from Savannah’s Candy Shop. While we were in Savannah’s some of my teammates saw me and yelled to get my attention. They came in for some treats. The team had split up into two groups to explore. I was so tired though so we headed back to the corner we were dropped off at the take the shuttle back to the hotel. When we got to 5^th street the rest of my teammates yelled for me to join them. I went into Legend’s just to chat for a while but I got sucked into staying longer. And then we went to meet up with the other group of teammates at a Karaoke bar. Nicole and I sang Ready to Run! And two other girls took a turn on stage too. It was really fun to hang out with the team besides in the vans while running.

Mom Dad and I then went back to the hotel so I could go to sleep.

Today I ran for my parents. They are the biggest and strongest support system in my life. They’ve supported me when I’ve done great things and when I’ve made poor decisions. I know they will always be here for me and they will always love me. It means a lot to me to have the support of them and my siblings. Every day after we finish running I text mom to let her know we are heading to our next host. She checks on me every day too. They drove down to Nashville to be with me today and tomorrow on our rest day. They said they wanted to be sure I get a good nights rest and some good food before we finish our last week heading to Baltimore.

I couldn’t do this without the support of my Mom and Dad. They make me stronger than I could be by myself.

-Thank you for everything you do for me! I love you all very much! 

Day 22 was for Nana. This day was our rest day in Nashville. I dedicated this day to my mom's mother - Nana - because I know she would like to think that I am getting to rest a little bit. This morning I got to sleep in; I still woke up at 7am though. Mom, Dad and I went to Firehouse Subs for lunch and then we went to see Man Of Steel. We went to a McDonald's to try and get WiFi but it wasn't working. We met up with half of my team at the Hope Lodge to cook and eat dinner with the patients there. We made a taco bar for them. After introducing ourselves, we all sat down at different tables and bonded with the patients we were serving and running for. Mom and Dad then took me out to dinner before they headed home.

Nana and my sister Rebekah

My Nana, Vivian Johnson, was diagnosed with melanoma several years ago. She beat that and was in remission for quite some time. About 4 years ago, Nana was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She first noticed a hard nodule in her neck area. The bump had come on suddenly so she went to have it removed and biopsied. It was found to be lymphoma. Nana started treatment with Rituxan - every month for two years. Then she had follow up scans. From the very beginning we knew that Nana would never be rid of the disease. She recently (in fall of 2012) had a flair up and had to begin treatment again.

It's difficult knowing that my only living grandparent has a deadly disease. When Nana was first diagnosed four years ago, I was scared. I thought to myself then that since she's older she might have a more difficult time going through treatment. Luckily her treatment has seemed less intrusive than chemotherapy. I feel like Nana is a normal healthy grandmother even though I know she's been through a lot. I don't go to school in town, so I don't see much of Nana during the school year. And I try to visit more often over breaks. I talked to her on the phone today :) and I am going to see her within a few days of finishing this journey.

I love you Nana! I hope Mom or Nancy or someone shows you this blog. Always know that I am praying for your health! I'm gonna come have sleepovers and dinners at your house more often! Can't wait for you to visit me at WashU this fall!! 

Day 20: Jeff Vires

Today we ran from St. Louis, MO to Evansville, IN. My partner today was Will.

After getting lost for a while in East St. Louis – not the happiest part of my morning – we found where we wanted to start our running. Will and I got out first. His IT band is still really hurting him so we did a lot of Jog/Walking. But we completed all 12 miles together!

We are staying at Immanuel Lutheren L.C.M.S. tonight. They have organized publicity and dinner and showers for us. Upon arriving the man in charge said he would take us to the country club for showers. Although I wanted to nap, I went to shower because we were on a time crunch for the news to arrive at 4:30 when dinner began. 

For dinner we had hotdogs, hamburgers, and brats, pasta and salad, watermelon and fruit salad. Before we ate they said prayer and they skyped in a very special person to the community. Her name is Christy. She was going to be joining us for dinner but within the past 24 hours her cancer spread and had paralyzed her. So she canceled the plans to be there in person but her friends had her on skype for us to say hello and for her to see us. After dinner we were served amazing cookies and ice cream.

I then ran up and down the street with five other teammates so the newswoman could get a couple 

shots. She had interviewed several of my teammates during dinner. You can see the news clip here: 14 News

Maeve's S'more

The church had set out some cornhole for us to play. And they had the makings for Smore’s! We toasted up some marshmallows and enjoyed!
They had invited a local with a secret recipe for pizza to come and make us some pizzas at 7:30. He came in with 18 pizzas!! We didn’t eat all of them but we all had a couple slices and it was some of the best pizza I have ever had! Then the church put on Forrest Gump for us to watch!

I think this amazing hospitality is exactly what our team needed to keep going. We are down to our last week and you can see a change in people’s attitudes and the looks on their face because of their support today. We can never thank Immanuel Lutheran enough for how they served us.

Today was dedicated to Jeff Vires. He is the husband of one of my moms coworkers, Peggy. I contacted Mr. Vires to ask about his treatment and this is the part of his story he shared with me:

I went in for an MRI of my left shoulder. I had been having pain in it and the doctors felt like I might have a torn rotator cuff. The MRI showed the tumor in my left upper lobe of my lung. My doctor called me immediately and ask me to come straight to her office. They took me straight in and she dropped everything and came in and gave me the news. I was devastated. Peggy immediately contacted uk Markey cancer center and got me an appointment with a surgeon. They did a pet scan and not only did it show the tumor in my left lung but several lymph nodes as well. Surgery was scheduled within 3 weeks to remove the lymph nodes . They turned out to be negative. 2 weeks later I went in for lung surgery and had the top half of my left lung removed. Also they found 2 malignate lymph nodes that they removed as well. I have no memory of the week I spent in the hospital. After 6 weeks of healing I started chemo and radiation treatments. 12 chemo and 33 radiation treatments. These treatments literally took the life out of me. I am permanate stage 3 cancer due to lymph nodes . My doctors forced me to retire and frankly I could not work. Mentally it destroys you and physically. I am still struggling with breathing and energy levels. I am being treated for depression as well. Every time I hurt I wonder if the cancer has returned, it never leaves your thoughts.

Mr. Vires - I appreciate your alls support of my run. I know you have been following my blogs from the very start. I can't tell you how much it means to me that I have people I've never personally met thinking and praying for me and my team. I wish I could help alleviate the fear that every pain could be cancer coming back. I will always be thinking of you and Peggy and hoping for you to stay in good health. Thank you for sharing your story and for being so strong to help others that are struggling. God Bless.