...67 Days Until Race Day Meet Presley. Presley is 19-years-old and recently "finished my first semester at Texas Tech University (Guns Up!!) where I am majoring in Electronic Media and Communications (my dad says I am majoring in SnapChat)." Diagnosed at age 11 with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Philadelphia Chromosome + (ALL PH+), Presley's treatment consisted of 18 months of in-patient chemo and 18 months of out-patient chemo. She still takes oral chemo...DAILY. Here is … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2017
Day 107 of 175 – JAKE
...68 Days Until Race Day Eighteen years ago today, this young man was diagnosed with Juvenile Chronic Myleomonocytic Leukemia (JMML) He was 4 months old. This is Jake's story. Jake's treatment lasted 5 YEARS and included 2 bone marrow transplants: Transplant #1 – April 9, 1999 - 5.5 months old Transplant #2 (Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation - PSCT) - September 25, 2000 - 23 months old (this is the one Jake and his family “count” because remission was … [Read more...]
Day 106 of 175 – DANIEL
...69 Days Until Race Day Since yesterday was a rest day, I didn't get to introduce you to this guy on his special day. Today was a training day, so we can celebrate, belatedly. Meet Daniel. When Daniel was 12, he was diagnosed with a mature teratoma brain tumor. His treatment involved 2 brain surgeries and 5 1/2 weeks of radiation. Daniel is now 22 and a Snowdrop Foundation scholarship recipient, but, because of his cancer diagnosis 10-years-ago, he is blind in his right eye … [Read more...]
Day 104 of 175 – RIO
...71 Days Until Race Day How's your day going? Well, this is Rio and today is his 6th birthday. I'm just going to turn this over to his mom, LeighAnn. "Look at that face!! That is the face of a sweet, brave 6-year-old boy! He is simply amazing! I don't know where he gets his strength! Rio has a rare form of cancer called Langerhan Cell Histiocytosis (LCH). He was first diagnosed at only 5-months-old. Three years ago, Rio started having bowel problems. He would have severe … [Read more...]
Day 103 of 175 – LAUREL
...72 Days Until Race Day This is one sweet little lady you are meeting today. Her family is pretty incredible too. I've known Laurel since her diagnosis, on February 18, 2010. She was only 3 when she was told she had Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma (soft tissue tumor growing out from her bladder, metastasized to her lungs). Her treatment, lasting 12 months, consisted of weekly chemo, surgery to remove her tumor and 30 rounds of radiation over 6 weeks. Laurel's last chemo round was … [Read more...]
Day 102 of 175 – RACHEL
...73 Days Until Race Day Meet Rachel. Rachel was diagnosed at age 16 with Metastatic Ewing's Sarcoma. After 12 months of chemotherapy, 31 days of radiation, three surgeries and countless blood transfusions, she was declared in remission. Through her treatment, the most significant impact was a late term effect where Rachel developed lymphedema in her arm due to the radiation. She sees a specialist constantly for lymphatic drainage and to help with the contracture (pliable connective … [Read more...]
Day 101 of 175 – Cory
...74 Days Until Race Day Today is a special number day. When we reach this mile (101) in the Ultramilano-Sanremo race, I will have then run the furthest I've ever run in one race. Only fitting then that today, we meet a kid who has come further than anybody thought he would. Meet Cory. Cory is a Snowdrop Foundation scholarship recipient, a Team Snowdrop Foundation runner who has run Chevron Houston Marathon and half marathon and is the first cancer survivor recipient of free … [Read more...]
Day 100 of 175 – KINSEY
...75 Days Until Race Day After running 50 miles yesterday and cutting 2.5 hours off of my previous fastest time, I was scheduled for a 1 hour run/walk today. When I woke up, my legs were tight and my body was stiff. I messaged Coach Jon Olsen with this question, "My schedule calls for an hour run/walk today. How important is it that I run all of it?" I didn't THINK I could run, nor did I WANT to run. Then, I checked my Facebook notices and saw that I had been tagged in someone's … [Read more...]
Day 99 of 175 – CALEB
...76 Days Until Race Day Today was for Caleb. When Caleb was 6 years old, he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). His treatment lasted 3 years and 3 months, but, this past December, on the 13th, Caleb rang the bell after his final treatment signifying that he is finished with treatment and officially in remission. It's amazing to see how grown up these children are, even at young ages. I'm convinced that cancer forces them to grow beyond their years. Case in … [Read more...]
Day 98 of 175 – RENO
...77 Days Until Race Day This is Reno. He is universally loved by everyone who meets him, especially the childhood cancer patients that he chaperones in Jackson Hole, WY as a camp counselor. Because of his history, and loving the camp counselor role so much, Reno hopes to continue "to help other pediatric cancer patients in the future." - Reno Diagnosed at 11-years-old with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Reno is now 22 and has been a Snowdrop Foundation scholarship recipient for the past 4 … [Read more...]
