Tim Wolfram's Team In Training Page
Running with FAITH, HOPE and LOVE for Greta and all others with blood cancers
FAITH HOPE LOVE FEST 2008
Thank you to all who attended FHL Fest 2008. It was a magical evening, and I hope all that attended enjoyed it as much as I did! We raised over $2700 for the fight against blood cancers, and had a great time doing it!! It was also a wonderful celebration for Greta and her family after a long, difficult journey since her initial diagnosis in September 2006. The great news is that Greta is cancer free and doing well in her fight against the GVH disease that has complicated her recovery. Please continue to keep Greta and her family in your thoughts and prayers.
Greta Perske is a typical teenager who is intelligent, athletic, and personable. She’s involved in National Honor Society and Student Council and plays soccer, basketball and runs track. She plays the piano and also said she “loves boys.” There’s one thing that’s not typical about her, though. When she was 11 months old, she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. That has never stopped her, though, because she’s a real fighter. And another thing: on September 1, 2006 she was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML). Since that time she had chemotherapy with Gleevec and underwent a bone marrow transplant on March 14, 2007. Her progress was remarkable until November, when she came down with Graft Versus Host Disease (GVH) of her gastro-intestinal system and liver. Since then she has been back on her anti-rejection medication and battling the effects of that disease complicated by her diabetes. But as I said earlier, she’s a fighter, and her mother told me that she has never complained or asked “why me” through this entire ordeal. Greta has a saying that reflects the strength of her faith and resolve:
FAITH is how you know where you are going … HOPE is what keeps you going … LOVE is how you get there.
On June 21, 2008 I will be running the Mayor’s Marathon in Anchorage, Alaska for Team In Training to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to fund research to find a cure and support patients and their families. This year marks the 20th Anniversary of Team In Training, and in that time 340,000 participants have raised more than $800 million dollars to support blood cancer research and patient services. Greta is my special honoree for this race. Please visit her CaringBridge website at www.caringbridge.org/visit/gretaperske to learn more about her. She is a strong, determined and courageous young woman. Now for me, running marathons is relatively easy, and there are mile markers and a finish line to show my progress and let me know when I can stop. Her race is much more difficult, because there are no regular “mile markers” of progress and no way to know how far it is to the finish line. There are many people supporting her with their professional expertise, friendship, time and prayers. I am honored to be a part of that effort.
So where do you come in? First of all, please keep Greta in your thoughts and prayers. I would also ask you to join me in honoring her with a contribution to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. My commitment is to raise a minimum of $4800. Your donation is 100% tax-deductible, and checks can be made out to LLS and sent to me at 5709 Meadowlark Ct, St. Cloud, MN 56303, or you can pay online with Visa, MasterCard or American Express.
I hope you'll visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support and generosity!
