Greetings friends and family! This year will be my second time running the St. Jude Marathon through my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee! Yes,
I said marathon! And, Yes, I am a little crazy about running, but all 26.2 miles are for a wonderful cause!
While this seems like an arduous and far-fetched task for many, for me, it's my way of giving back to the thousands of families that rely on St. Jude to meet the medical needs of their beautiful
sons and daughters. Moreover, I run for family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and strangers who: have beat cancer, are presently battling cancer, have succumbed to cancer; or will battle cancer in the future. Running is my way of letting them all know
that I am there for them by pounding the pavement mile after mile, which is a true test of discipline, resilience, and determination--all traits that all cancer patients and survivors embody to me.
The first year I ran the marathon, I was moved when I saw all the St. Jude families standing along the sidewalks with their signs: "Run for Meagan!" "Don't give up!" "Help us kick cancer in
the butt!" But, when I ran along the pavement through the hospital, I was moved when a little girl reached out and grabbed my hand. When I looked at her, I got so emotional. I could tell she was a fighter and had been fighting for some time. Like many cancer
patients going through chemotherapy, although the remnants of her hair were barely there, her spirits were high. Her smile was electrifying, and her touch inspired me to keep running. In that moment, that little girl had become my personal motivator and coach.
And, for the rest of the race, I ran each step for her--a total stranger that moved me to be even more tenacious. Because of that moment, I promised myself that I would run as a St. Jude Hero the next time around. And, this year--December 2013, will be by
next time around!
I've committed to raising funds as a St. Jude Hero to support St. Jude's lifesaving mission of finding cures and saving children. I need YOUR support
to help me reach my fundraising goal of $1,000 for the kids of St. Jude.
It costs $1.8 million a day to operate St. Jude. Did you know that 70% of the funds come from the public? That means your donation, no matter what the size, will help!
How your donation helps:
-
Thanks to donors like you, no family ever pays St. Jude for anything, including lodging, food and travel.
-
St. Jude will continue to improve treatment of childhood cancer and other deadly diseases through it's groundbreaking research.
-
For every child treated at St. Jude, thousands more have been saved worldwide through St. Jude discoveries.
If you are interested in helping me support St. Jude, visit my St. Jude fundraising page by clicking on the link below to get started!
http://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/Heroes/Heroes?px=2242457&pg=personal&fr_id=4820
Thank you for your support!
Dr. Latanya "Sha-The-Runner" Fanion
