NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TX – Cancer. A word never associated with positivity.
Instantly inducing fear and anxiety, the word itself is deplorable. While words do not have the ability to physically cause pain, the things they represent do. For those affected by this particular ‘word,’ life changes drastically and perspectives change in an instant.
As the popular pink ribbons remind us, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. one in eight women will have to be told they have this type of that ‘word’ in their lifetime. Which means someone reading this will be affected or know someone who will.
One member of our Brahmas family in particular has her own mother currently fighting Stage 4 for the second time in her life. She remembers the look in her mother’s eyes when she broke the news, having to use ‘that word’ again. October is a month to celebrate survivors, remember those who are no longer with us and encourage those currently fighting.
Texas Jr. Brahmas Head coach Michael Hill and his wife, Laura White, hold two more colors near their hearts. Orange, the color of the Leukemia awareness ribbon and purple for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The couple has close friends affected by both, Neil Moran who passed away in July after fighting Leukemia and Chanelle Blackburn, a survivor of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
As tribute to them, Laura is fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by rigorously training to run the Dallas Marathon in December. Her training began in August and she ran her first half-marathon on October 16. On her blog she writes, “It is my hope to have even an ounce of the strength and dedication to fighting blood cancers that Neil and Chanelle have.”
Laura is dedicating a few months to honor her friends and raise money to help find cures and ensure treatments to blood cancer patients… oh, and she’s 15 weeks pregnant. Yep, she’s running marathons during some of the most exhausting months of her own life. This means that she will be entering her third trimester as the Dallas Marathon approaches.
She writes, “Since training began on August 20, I have run 220 official training miles! I’ve pushed through first-trimester morning sickness and fatigue, and I’ve learned how to adjust with my quickly-changing body. When I put it in perspective, the people that I’m running for have to cope with SO MUCH MORE just to live their daily lives.”
Laura exemplifies selflessness, radiates hope and encourages strength. People like her help calm the storms raging through the hearts and minds of those affected by “that word.”
She has currently raised 15% of her fundraising goal. If you’d like to add your support, please CLICK HERE to view her fundraising page.