Adopt-a-Marathoner

Alyssa recently contacted me to let me know about the Boston Daily Blog's Adopt-a-Marathoner program. The following email was sent to the Boston Daily Blog this evening:

Hi Amy,

I hope all is well. I'm writing to you with a heavy heart this evening because my grandmother just passed away, but I would really like to share my story. Almost two years ago, I took a position at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund as an Event Compliance Officer because I wanted to gain experience in event management. Since becoming a Dana-Farber employee, I have become so very passionate about Dana-Farber's mission to eradicate cancer. At work, we receive phone calls on a daily basis from individuals looking to conduct events on behalf of Dana-Farber. Many of these volunteers have been deeply scarred by cancer, while others simply want to give back to the community. In an effort to a) understand my job better and b) connect to Dana-Farber's mission on a deeper level, I started volunteering at some of Dana-Farber's events. I've been to fashion shows, dog walks, road races and golf tournaments, but the event that impacted me the most was the Boston Marathon. Last year, I volunteered to assist the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge runners from the marathon finishline back to the Dana-Farber recovery zone. It was such a wonderful and emotional experience for not only the runners ... but for me as well. Many of the runners opened up their hearts and shared their stories with me: a perfect stranger. I was astonished when one of the runners admitted to me that he was a cancer survivor. He had been treated at Dana-Farber ... and he just conquered the Boston Marathon!!! Another runner finished his first marathon and skipped back to the recovery zone! Almost all of the runners that I spoke to were running in memory or in support of a loved one who battled cancer. It was then that I decided that I wanted to run my very first marathon for Dana-Farber in support of all of these runners! Talk about motivation!

My application to run the upcoming 2008 Boston Marathon for Dana-Farber was accepted back in October, and I've been training ever since! I used to skate professionally for Disney on Ice, so I assumed that my athletic background would carry me a long way in my training. I have, however, battled ITB syndrome, New England weather, and peroneal tendonitis with the best of them. This week, I seem to be facing a new kind of injury: a broken heart and a bruised spirit. My grandmother was suddenly diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer just a few days ago, and she passed away at 5:15pm today. Until now, I did not really know the feeling "to be touched by cancer." My grandma was my friend, my mentor, and my confidant. We were extremely close. She played an important role in my upbringing, and she will never be forgotten. When I first started my training almost thirty weeks ago, I was running in an attempt to connect to Dana-Farber's mission on a deeper level. Now, I am also running in memory and in honor of my lovely grandmother Rita V. Higgins.

My goal is to raise $10,000 for the Claudia Adams Barr Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. I've raised almost $4,000 so far, and I'm hoping that the Boston Daily Blog can adopt me/start a rally to raise funds towards my run because cancer is the kind of disease that can hit absolutely anyone at anytime. It doesn't play "favorites." I'm totally convinced that Dana-Farber will develop a cure for this disease in my lifetime, but we really need your help to do it! If it makes any difference, I'm a Boston resident and a huge Red Sox fan. Thank you for listening, and I hope that you will consider "adopting me."

If you or your readers would like to make a gift, please go to my running blog at http://kcounihan.blogspot.com. Just click on the "sponsor me" image on the left side of the page. Feel free to track my progress towards my marathon as well! Your support is greatly appreciated!

Many thanks,
Katy Counihan