Dear
family and friends,
They
say time flies when you’re having fun, and I know many of
you question my sanity when I tell you how much fun running is!
But here I am, eleven years of stepping to the starting line on
the third Monday in April, running the 112th Boston Marathon as
a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team.
The past decade can be described in so many ways: grueling, inspiring,
challenging, humbling…. But most of all: fun. And throughout
those years, you have fueled my fire and helped me to raise nearly
$80,000 for cancer research at Dana-Farber. Thank you for your support
and encouragement!
As
one of the more long-standing veterans of the DFMC team (nearly
a dozen of us last year running for our tenth consecutive year),
I have had the amazing privilege to visit Dana-Farber on numerous
occasions and meet with doctors, researchers and patients. It is
on this frontline that I can see firsthand how important our fundraising
efforts are in the search for a cure.
Last night, I heard from a woman not much older than I. She is married,
has a successful career, a happy marriage and two young children.
And she has brain cancer.
Normally a private person, she shared with us the shock of the diagnosis.
She underwent intensive chemotherapy and radiation, including a
drug that just five years ago was not available to brain cancer
patients. She has exhausted all current treatments and is now waiting
for the next drug to be approved. Imagine living your life wondering
if the drug that could save you will arrive in time.
Over
the past decade, you have read about friends I have lost, treatments
that didn’t arrive in time, and about those who survived and
continued to flourish. I hope that by sharing my personal stories,
as did this young woman last night, I have shown just how critical
your continued support is -- and why I will continue to run and
run.
Please
take a few minutes today to visit my website
and support my 11th marathon run. 100% of your tax-deductible donation
funds Barr Program researchers at Dana-Farber, ensuring novel approaches
in basic cancer research.
With
thanks and appreciation,
-Heather
PS: As I have
every year, I will be wearing the names of your loved ones, cancer
victims and survivors, on my marathon-day singlet to spur me forward.
Be sure to send me an email at hkispert@alum.wellesley.edu
so I can include them.
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