Passion to do life comes and goes. Some days, like today, I am gung ho and could work for hours on the Team Sarcoma bike/walk/run that is coming up on July 17th. And then other nights, like last night, I focus on the reasons WHY I am organizing this in the first place.
Last night I got an amazing call from the head of the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative. He explained how the research grant process works, and what ratings they must get from researches to grant them the money towards the project. For the first time ever, he received a request for a $50,000 grant for Angiosarcoma. It still has to go through the approval process, and the details are confidential, but wow, what timing. In the midst of me organizing the first ever Central-PA walk for Team Sarcoma, our money could possibly go towards this Angiosarcoma grant, which has always been my hope: that someone would see worth in researching a disease that is so unknown, but so devastating.
I also connected with some Angiosarcoma patients and their families last night. For me, that is bittersweet, as I am sure it is for them. They do not want to know that people have died from this disease, but they also know the “reality”. However, I know our outcome isn’t everyone’s outcome with Angiosarcoma. I know patients, I know survivors, and it is possibly to SURVIVE with this disease. It is important to hold onto that belief, even if it is slim.
I missed Kevin last night when I thought about the reason why I am doing this. If he hadn’t gotten the disease, I would not be here, I would not even KNOW about Sarcoma. But thus, I am here, and I do not want to continue with the battle of “I wish I wasn’t, but I love the people I have met because of it” etc. etc. That was then, I am here now.
One of the gentleman helping with the event was vacationing in Cape May this weekend, and opened a local paper. He spotted an add for “Sandcastles for Sarcoma” a team local to Cape May raising money for the LSSI. He took a picture and sent it to me, and I quickly contacted the organizer to tell them of the coincidence. He had not heard of Sarcoma cancer prior to meeting me, and I am sure if he had stumbled across that advertisement without my story, he would not have thought anything of that ad. How cool-this is why we work with a passion-so that more people, like him, hear about Sarcoma. Many of my friends had not heard about Sarcoma until they met me, and because of Kevin’s struggle and passion for beating this disease, it has pushed me to help others.
It is about awareness, but without funds, we cannot make progress. Please consider donating directly to the LSSI (http://www.sarcomahelp.org) or show up on July 17th at 10 a.m. in East Petersburg for the Bike/Walk/Run. Spread the word, and work with a passion!
