Dear
friends,
Last April, I
met my Dana-Farber team in Hopkinton with over 15,000 runners for
the 105th Boston Marathon, my fourth marathon in memory of Brittany
Lambert. For once, I have no stories of injuries to tell, no nagging
aches and pains - just memories of thoroughly enjoying myself the
entire race. Mile after mile, I stopped to chat with friends, laughing
about how much fun I was having. They questioned my sanity: who
has “fun” running 26.2 miles? Brittany’s family
met me at mile 25, and a friend of their family ran the last mile
with me, whooping up the crowd to cheer me on every step of the
way.
However, just
a few months later, the world completely changed. On September 11th,
Brittany’s mother, Linda, was one of the first people I called
after my own family, quickly followed by an Instant Messenger conversation
with her daughter, Brianne. A few weeks later, we regrouped in Hopkinton
to walk the Boston Marathon course for the Jimmy Fund Walk. In stark
contrast to my run in April, we were all still shocked, quiet and
apprehensive. But as we walked, cars began honking, drivers began
waving and passerby’s stopped us to thank us for supporting
cancer research, renewing our determination to fight cancer.
As we walked,
Linda, Brianne and I talked about how our lives have changed since
I first ran the marathon four years ago. I have met amazing athletes
and made lifelong friends, one of them my fiancé. I found
an extended family in Linda, Brianne and the rest of their family
and friends. Life has a way of coming full circle, and in spite
of the loss of Brittany, we are grateful for all that we have gained.
Over the past
four years you have helped me to raise over $25,000 for cancer research
at Dana-Farber, and I want to thank you for your continual support,
both financial and emotional. I hope that you will consider contributing
this year. 100% of your tax-deductible donation funds Barr Program
researchers at Dana-Farber, ensuring novel approaches in basic cancer
research. While a cure was not found in time for Brittany, I know
that the researchers that we are supporting today will eventually
find one. As I gear up for my fifth marathon, I look forward to
meeting Linda at mile 25 where she will run with me to the finish.
Thank you for
your support and encouragement!
--Heather
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