Hi, there! Mary asked me to be a "guest blogger" a few weeks ago. I'm sorry it's taken me this long! I wasn't sure what I would write about. (Those who know me, know that I am very rarely at a loss for words!)
First of all, I want to thank Mary for running this race in memory of my son, Aidan. Every day without him is a bigger struggle than the day before. I miss him more than I could ever put into words. Our 2 1/2 year old daughter, Ava, and the continued outpouring of love from our family and friends, are what keeps us going. (This picture was taken exactly one year ago today in Crystal Cove, Newport Beach, CA.
I was a member of the San Diego Chapter of Team-in-Training back in 1998. I ran in the "Midnight Sun Marathon" in Anchorage, Alaska. (I know that training in that beautiful California sunshine was a lot easier than running in the cold, dark New England winter!) I ran in memory of my cousin, Adam Ridge, who died from the combination of two types of cancer, ALL and AML, just before his 7th birthday. I also ran in honor of a little girl from San Diego named, Courtney. She was 5 1/2 and had ALL. (I never imagined that 11 years later, I would have a 5 1/2 year old son, also diagnosed with ALL.)
For those of you who aren't familiar with the details of Aidan's passing, he was only 3 weeks into his diagnosis, and already in remission, when he died from the swine flu. Thanks to the Leukemia Society, and other organizations like them who raise the money for Leukemia and other blood cancers, they have made amazing advances in treatment and have saved millions of lives. Aidan had a 90% cure rate, and today Courtney is a thriving college student.
So, if you've already supported Mary with a monetary contribution, you should feel good about how those funds will be used. If you haven't contributed, yet, then please do. Even $5 will help. It all adds up quickly!
Love, Regi
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