Monday Motivation: Team Matty Edition

So this week's Monday Motivation is coming to you on Tuesday. First because it is worth the wait so that I could share a very special video included in this post, but also because after reading this you can go ahead and rename this "Motivation EVERYday"- because this story and our mission, is not just for Mondays.

Running with the DFMC team has been one of the most incredible experiences in my life thus far. Beyond our personal goals and reasons for running, as a team we endeavor to provide strength and support to those patients and families who have been forever changed by this horrible disease.

Which brings us to the Dubuc family.

In July of 2004, Sandra and John Dubuc were busy adjusting to life as the parents of three boys with newborn Zachary, 4 year old Matty, and 7 year old Christopher, when they received the words no parents ever want to hear. Matty had been diagnosed with Stage IV Hepatoblastoma (liver cancer). This rare form of cancer only affects one in a million children per year, and the Stage IV classification indicated that the cancer had already spread. In Matty's case it had spread to his lungs, brain, and left wrist bone. Matty would endure countless rounds of chemotherapy, a liver transplant, 3 lung surgeries, 2 brain surgeries, and radiation. And when Matty's wrist tumor became more aggressive and showed no response to chemo or radiation, his left arm was amputated from his elbow down. Despite all of this, Matty continued to bravely fight and "Don't Stop Believing" became the family's motto.On November 20, 2006 the Dubuc family was told that there was nothing short of a miracle that would help Matty beat his battle. And on March 25, 2007 - 2 years, 8 months, and 16 days after being diagnosed - Matty went to heaven peacefully in his sleep.

Matty Dubuc - our team's bravest angel 

Sandra and her family turned their grief into action, working to ensure that Matty is never forgotten and to help us get closer to the day that no family will ever have to endure what they have had to. Sandra first discovered the DFMC team when she ran the marathon the year after Matty passed, and since that time she has remained closely involved by volunteering at water stops a few times throughout the season and sharing Matty's story with each year's DFMC team.

However, this year Sandra decided to do things a little differently and signed up to man a water station each and every week during our training season. Every Saturday Sandra would be out on our routes braving the record setting temps and snowfall to cheer us on. Every week the water station had a different theme and many honored Matty's favorite things - Spongebob and the color blue among them. And each week Matty was there smiling and reminding us why we run.

All of our DFMC volunteers are truly special and amazing- their dedication is astounding. But reaching Sandra's water stop each week was something I can't quite put into words. Each week's theme would make you smile, and Sandra's never-ending energy and her reason for being there would give you that extra burst of strength you needed to turn around and tackle the Newton hills one more time.  I honestly do not know if I would have made it through this winter's training without her energy and encouragement!

And so this past week on Matty's Angelversary, we all did what we could to return the favor to Sandra and her family. To honor Matty with his favorite things such as eating Starburst or watching Spongebob, posting pictures of support, wearing blue, and showing the Dubuc family that this special boy will NEVER be forgotten. And then my teammates Steve and Kerry - who wear their blue "Team Matty" shirts every week and run in honor of Matty - came up with something truly amazing.

Before all of our group runs this season, the DFMC crew would share an impact statement or have a special guest speak to us about their experience with cancer and Dana-Farber. As this past Saturday's run would be our longest of long runs (20-22 miles) before we taper in the last few weeks before the marathon, Sandra was once again invited to give the pre-run motivational speech to the team as she has done in years past.

Only this time, Steve and Kerry had a surprise and had secured 150 "Team Matty" blue t-shirts for our team to wear in honor of Matty and the Dubuc family. As each of us checked in for the run, we discretely took our shirts and snuck off to the locker rooms to put them on underneath our jackets, etc. We would wait for the signal after Sandra's speech to surprise her.

If they say a picture is worth a thousand words, well then this video is priceless.  THIS is what it is all about, and I know Matty is smiling down on us along with so many other special angels up above - and we run for all of you. And we will keep on running until we reach that ultimate finish line and world without cancer.

 

One of my favorite pictures of Sandra from this season.
The theme was "National Margarita Day" 

You can learn more about Matty's story HERE

Monday Motivation: T-Minus 5 Weeks!

Numbers constantly float through a runners head.

Number of miles down, and number left to go. Average pace, training pace, race pace. Months, weeks, days, seconds until your next race. Miles on sneaker pair 1...pair 2...pair 3...

The numbers go on and on.

Some of the numbers that have been constant residents in my mind since September?

26.2 (obviously)

10,000 and 13,100 (my initial and then"secret"/now reality fundraising goals)

9:30-10:30 (my goal pace range)

4/20/15 (the date of the 119th Boston Marathon)

53 (the number of pounds I have lost since January 2014 when I started running again)

16 (the number of pounds I have to reach my "goal" weight)

There is one other important number that is constantly at top of mind for me, but sadly this number keeps changing and ticking upwards. It is the number of people I am running in honor and memory of. And I run so that one day that number will be "0." 

This weekend I added one more person to that list when I learned about my teammate Lisa's four year old patient partner Nolan. A year ago Nolan was on his deathbed battling acute myeloid leukemia (AML).Unlike acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) which my patient partner Darla fought and overcame and which is often classified as "curable," AML is typically found in adults versus children and has a much lower survival rate. Nolan qualified for a clinical trial while being treated at Dana-Farber which was basically deemed his "last chance" at beating his AML in combo with a bone marrow transplant. Nolan responded to the treatment and just celebrated his 4th birthday last week and in 3 days on March 19th will celebrate his first "re-birthday" to mark one year post-bone marrow transplant. 

The kicker? When the clinical trial was offered to Nolan's family they asked how it was being paid for since insurance didn't cover it, etc. The answer? Through the funds raised by the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge and Pan Mass Challenge. 

Oh and I should mention that Lisa shared Nolans' story with me and another runner as we approached the longest, steepest hill near the end of our 14 mile run this past weekend. Needless to say it gave us the extra push we needed to make it to the top!

So yeah, if you ever had any question about the impact your amazingly generous gifts are helping to have, there you go.

Oh and here are a few more numbers.

26013 (my bib number)
1275 (number of dollars until I reach my goal of raising $13,100 to save lives)
5 (number of weeks until the Boston Marathon)
4 (my starting wave)
3 (my corral)
2 (number of weeks left in my Marathon March Madness opportunity drawings)
1 (entry per every $10 donation increment for some great prizes!)

                  

Every $10 donation increment = 1 entry for these great prizes!

(i.e. $20 = 2 entries, $30 = 3 entries, and so forth)

Decorating Darla's poster for Marathon Monday at our DFMC Patient Poster Party after our run this weekend (her picture will go in the blank space)

Click HERE to Donate and Enter to Win Marathon March Madness Prizes

Monday Motivation: T-Minus 6 Weeks!

Yesterday I ran 18 miles. Yes, the last 1.2 miles or so may have more closely resembled hobbling than running, but I did it. And yes it wasn't easy, there may have been some swearing when the crosswalk at the 17.5 mile point took what seemed like hours to change, and I may have collapsed on the floor after I finished - but I did it. 

And you know what the best part of yesterday's run was? My teammates. My truly amazing and inspiring teammates.

Before the run. During the run. After the run. High-fiving along the way, cheering each other on in our longest runs yet, and congratulating each other on meeting mileage or fundraising goals. Welcoming teammates from out of town to their first group run. A quick "Go Dana-Farber" or "Good job you're almost there" as you pass each other in opposite directions on Heartbreak Hill. Turning back and running another half mile on 18 mile legs to make sure your teammate is okay when they are waiting for the longest crosswalk light in history (thanks Shannon and Jon...seriously, that thing felt like it took an hour!). And most importantly, sharing our stories about why and for who we run. I am so incredibly blessed and honored to be a part of this team and everything it represents, and my teammates inspire me each and every day. 

Given I spent yesterday's run with a teammate whose Mother is currently battling pancreatic cancer at Dana-Farber, today's impact statement is in honor of her and demonstrates the importance of the Barr program research this challenge is funding. 

Barr Program investigator Alec Kimmelman, MD, PHD discovered that hydroxychloroquine, currently used for treating malaria, is effective in shrinking or slowing the growth of pancreatic cancers. Hydroxychloroquine is a drug that inhibits “autophagy,” a process that enables cells to break down and eliminate structures such as damaged cell membranes. Cancer cells use autophagy to outwit chemotherapy treatment: by activating this process they survive the stress of therapy. Dr. Kimmelman discovered that autophagy is turned on all at all times in pancreatic cancer cells suggesting that pancreas tumors are highly dependent on autophagy and therefore good candidates for autophagy-inhibiting treatments. These treatments were found to be very effective in mouse model trials and are now being tested in human clinical trials. 

Thank you to those of you who have already donated and helped me towards my goal of raising $13,100 for this life saving and changing research. I am only $1325 away from that goal and I know we will reach or surpass that before I take my first step in Hopkinton in just six short weeks! Make sure to check out and spread the word about my "Marathon March Madness" opportunity drawings giving you the chance to win a Coach handbag, Red Sox tickets, and more throughout March!

T-Minus 42 days!

Some motivation posted by one of my amazing teammates 

We received our DFMC Team singlets this week - it's starting to feel real!