Each of the past five years, the support that has been shown
to my participation on the DFMC team has been incredibly generous and frankly, quite
remarkable. I began running in 2009 after
my sister, Molly, died as a result of brain cancer. And then, in less than three years’ time (which
felt like both an eternity and a flash), my brother, John, and my sister, Mary,
also passed away from cancer. They were
all in the 30s, all with so much living left to do. Our family and their friends had plans and
hopes that included them and all of our lives were irrevocably changed by their
diagnosis and subsequent deaths. The reality is too many people are getting
diagnosed every day: one of my first
friends in Massachusetts; our friend, Danny; my friend’s dad; another friend’s
mom. It is just too many people. There
is still much work to be done and that is why I became a member of the
Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team and haven’t looked back. After John was first diagnosed, I began looking
for a way to give back, a platform for change. I needed something to believe in, a cause that
was making a difference, that I could see and understand. And I found that with DFMC. The DFMC team is composed not just of the
runners, but their families and friends who support them, researchers, volunteers,
the survivors, and all those in whose memory we run. I certainly can’t find a cure on my own, and
that is why I come back to this team, and why I write to you this year.
The DFMC team raises funds for the Barr Program in
Innovative Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Dana-Farber is one of the top 5 cancer
institutes in the country, and the Barr Program is a leading research program
that funds the brightest scientists making basic research discoveries that are
transforming cancer treatment. These
breakthroughs are resulting in improved survival rates and quality of life for
thousands of patients everywhere.
100%...every single little penny…of
your gift will go directly to the researchers.
To fund cutting edge studies. To find new and effective treatments. To search for a cure. This year, our team goal is $5.3 million
dollars, and my personal goal is $26,200, which is
$1000 per mile of a marathon. I would be so grateful for your generosity and support to help me reach my goal this year.
Making an online gift is easy. You can visit my webpage at http://www.runDFMC.org/2014/jennie
to make a contribution. If you would
prefer, you can also send a check payable to the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge to me at: Jennie Sheridan, 23
Glendale Rd., Marblehead, MA 01945. It is because of the unfailing generosity of
so many of you over the past years that I am able to once again lace up my
shoes and run in honor of all of our family and friends who have been diagnosed
with cancer. Please let me know if there
is someone for whom you would like me to run.
I wear the names of our family and friends on my shirt on the road from
Hopkinton to Boston each year, and while sadly the list continues to grow, it
is for all them that I run.
As I close this out, I wanted to share something I wrote
this summer that rings true for not just this marathon but for almost every day
I step into my running shoes. The question,
“Why do you run?” was posed by the organizers of the NYC Marathon (a race I was
supposed to run but couldn’t due to injury. With Thanksgiving upon us, I find myself incredibly grateful to be able to run and the platform for which it has allowed me to give back:
“I am inspired to run by many things. I started running
marathons five years ago in support of my three siblings who had been diagnosed
with cancer. Sadly, I now run in their memories as within three years, all of
them lost their lives to cancer. I think that throughout the 11 years, from my
brother's first diagnosis of a brain tumor in 2000 to the day of my second
sister's funeral in 2011, running has saved me. In
the many years of illness, treatment, and occasional remissions; and those that
have followed their deaths, running has provided me an outlet to process pain and
sadness, to clear my head and think through decisions, to cry, to remember, to
laugh. Running keeps me healthy in mind and in body. Through running, I have
realized how important exercise is to overall well being, and I know that
enduring what our family has been through would have been significantly more
difficult for me without being able to throw on my shoes and head out the door.
Cancer doesn't just affect those who are diagnosed: It changes the world for
anyone that is part of that life. So, I run for my parents, who endured and
survived much more than a thousand marathons as they supported and cared for my
siblings throughout their illnesses. I run for my one living sister, who is my
best friend, and I am so thankful that over the past couple of years we've had
the opportunity to log a few running miles together. I run for my husband, who
provides unending support and understanding. I run for my three kids to show
them to set goals, and follow through on the work and commitment to achieve
them. And to not give up, even when life takes some really unexpected turns. I
run for so many family members and friends that continue to provide our family
with laughter, love, meals, rides, overnight stays, emails and letters,
prayers, and care without conditions. And I run for me. Because being able to
run, and the peace and wellness that I feel when I am on the road, it has saved
me."
I am thankful for the
opportunity to be a part of this team, to help lead us to a world without
cancer. My sincerest thanks for your
kindness and generosity. It means a
great deal to my family, and we are all so grateful for your support over the
years. Please feel free to share our mission with
anyone you feel might be interested, and don't forget to follow along on this blog. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Be good. Be strong.
