I ran my first marathon with TNT in San Diego June of 2008.  Next to being pregnant and having babies, it was the most physically challenging thing I have ever done.  I had a great experience.  I’m not sure what other runners do with their medals, but I placed mine where I felt was most appropriate, I placed mine on the headstone of my honored hero, my son, Mitchell.

Mitchell was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in August of 2005.  He had what we called the “vanilla” of leukemia, very basic and had a 90% chance of survival.  However, Mitchell did not follow the norm and he was labeled a “slow responder.”  Because of this we headed down the heavy and hard chemo road.  Mitchell was a trooper.  He did what he had to do and usually had a smile on his face.  And we all adjusted to a new normal.  After many spinal taps, bone marrow aspirations, what seemed like gallons of chemo and way too many nights in the hospital Mitchell finally went into remission. He was able to attend most of his 3^rd grade year.  He was back to playing sports, in fact, he had a great baseball season.  He basically was able to return to being a kid. His hair had even grown back.  We seemed to be returning to our pre-normal state.

But almost 2 years to the date he was first diagnosed we received news that Mitchell had relapsed.  The cancer was back.  Due to the fact that Mitchell had seen just about every chemo used to kill the leukemia cells,  the doctors were in search for a new drug to rid Mitchell’s body of the leukemia.  Mitchell put on his fighting gear and we headed back into the ring.  This time it was different, this time Mitchell was sicker and after a month of treatment the leukemia had hardly budged and other complications had set in.  After giving it his all, on September 27, 2007 Mitchell handed in his boxing gloves for a pair of wings.

As parents you start making decisions for your children even before they are born.  You choose their name, what color their first room will be, what they will wear and eat each day.  Never did I plan on making the decision of what to put on my son’s headstone.

Mitchell was a great kid.  He was a tenderhearted, sweet, polite blue-eyed boy.  In fact, when we would check into the hospital the nurses would fight over who got him for a patient.  He was smart, funny and competitive.  It was almost impossible to play board games with him……he hated to lose.  He was the most courageous 10yr old I know.

Mitchell had said many times during treatment that he wanted to become a doctor and find a cure for cancer.  My husband, John and I would often tell Mitchell to “Keep Fighting!” and he did right to the end.   3 days before Mitchell passed away, after he had been unresponsive for a few days, Mitchell spoke his last words.  He opened his eyes and clearly said “Keep fighting!”   These words have now become my purpose.   THIS IS WHY I RUN.

TNT is not just about getting in shape or conquering a physical challenge.  It’s about fighting for someone else when they can’t.  TNT is not about having the best running shoes or the perfect running gear (however, a good pair of shoes is very important).  It’s about raising the awareness that blood cancers are taking lives……even those that have only lived for 10 short years.  TNT is not just about the change it will make in your own life.  It’s about the difference YOU WILL make in someone else’s life. It made a difference in ours……because of the efforts made through research from the funds raised through the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society and Team in Training, we were given 2 extra years with our son that we would not have had.