Shayna's at it again!
Racing to Save Lives
Welcome to my Team In Training home page.
As you may know, I lost my mother to Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) on October 23, 2002. Exactly three years later, I completed my first marathon, the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. I trained with Team in Training and raised nearly $5000 to help find a cure for blood-related cancers. It was an amazing experience to be able to do something so positive to celebrate her life instead of grieving.
Since that day, I have raised funds for and completed three more endurance events with Team in Training. Circumstances have not allowed me to return to the Nike Women's Marathon, however.
I was also bitten by the marathoning bug and have completed a total of 4 full marathons (26.2 miles each!), and 11 half-marathons (13.1 miles!). I've also walked one ultramarathon for a total of 40 miles in one day.
Along the way, I have met some amazing people, my Honored Heroes. One of my Honored Heroes is Laiken Kenwood, who had just turned 13 and received her second bone marrow transplant on 3/20/08. Laiken passed away on 4/22/08. She will be forever loved and missed by so many.
I decided to re-join the TEAM this year because I found out that a colleague's favorite aunt was just diagnosed with AML. Barbara Watson is 77 years old and her prognosis is not good.
I want to help. I will be walking 13.1 miles at the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco on October 19, 2008.
And you can help, too.
All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I'm completing this event in honor of all individuals like Laiken and Barbara who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!
Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance the Society's mission.
I hope you'll visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!
UPDATES:
5/27/08 - First TEAM training on Saturday! We walked a fast four miles on a different Irvine course... I got my medical bracelets. I have eight. There are more angels than heroes this season. I hope to change that with what we're doing.
5/17/08 - Kickoff! We celebrated the beginning of the season today. I had completed my 10 miles (and gotten coffee!) before 9:00... I met my newest hero, Carol, a 20-year-old who is in remission for her ALL. I didn't get all of my medical bracelets made (the line was long), but I will have them by next weekend. I'm trying to focus on the survivors, but I really miss those who have been lost to these cancers... I saw lots of old pals and some new friends who I met through Laiken. My five-year-old son joined me, as well as my dear friend, Rachel. It was a bittersweet pocket of time. I am ready to get started!
5/5/08 - Happy Cinco de Mayo! I walked 12 miles at the beach yesterday with my friend, Rachel. I went to Laiken's beautiful and heartbreaking memorial service last week. Today, I am reminded to ask you to go get on the Bone Marrow Registry. Click here. I am more than halfway to my fundraising goal. Thank you all so much!
4/29/08 - Happy Birthday to me! It is a bittersweet day. I will donate platelets at the Red Cross this afternoon, and will attend Laiken's funeral tomorrow. My goal is to reach $2700 in donations by May 17th. Can you help? Thank you so much!!!
4/22/08 - Laiken passed away this afternoon... Her lungs just couldn't take it anymore... Her parents made the brave decision to let her go peacefully.... My thoughts and prayers are with Stacey and Jim... And I am 13 times more determined to do something about this!!!
4/21/08 - I spent much of the day at the hospital with Laiken's family and friends yesterday. Her numbers aren't looking good, but she is still hanging in there.
4/19/08 - I just heard from Laiken's mom, Stacey, that Laiken is not doing very well. In fact, the doctors say that if anybody wants to spend some time with her to do so within the next five hours or so. This is really frightening and saddening news. I'm going to go do some off-road miles in her honor this morning. And hoping for the best. Laiken's 13 years old. I really want for her to be okay!!!
4/17/08 - Laiken has been in the ICU for several days and she was intubated last night. This is a very scary time for her and her family. Please keep Laiken and her family in your thoughts. Thank you.
4/14/08 - One year since my friend, Brenda Donato, died of AML. She was such a vibrant woman. Smart, funny, active. She loved smiles. Smiles were her favorite. I miss her. Laiken's white count is up a bit higher since I last heard from her mom. This is good. A bittersweet day.
4/9/08 - I heard from Laiken's mom that Laiken has white cells. It is Day +20, and engraftment is happening. Which means the marrow is doing its job and making its way into Laiken's system. This is awesome news!!!!! Thank you so much for keeping her in your thoughts, and thank you to those of you who so generously donated in memory of my mom the other day. THANK YOU for helping me cure cancer and to save this little girl's life!!!
4/7/08 - My mom would have been 56 years old today if she'd lived. I spent a quiet day with my dad and appreciate those of you who remembered her today. Laiken is doing a bit better. Today was to be a big day with information about the next steps and I'll let you know when I hear from her mom, Stacey.
4/5/08 - I got up this morning and checked my email and got an update on Laiken. She was taken down to the Peds ICU this morning because she can't breathe. She'd been on oxygen since yesterday, and things simply aren't going very well. I am so worried about my little Hero. This morning's 8 miles will be for her. The good news is that Cameron and his family couldn't join us for dinner last night because they were too busy playing miniature golf and going to his favorite Mexican restaurant for soup and rice. I hope that Laiken gets to go do her favorite things soon, too. Thank you for helping with your generous donations and by thinking about these kids who need your help.
4/3/08 - Thank you all so much for your generosity. I've been getting donations from complete strangers, thanks to all of you passing along the information. Last weekend, Rachel and I went to a Nike Spatique event at a local spa called Breathe Day Spa in Huntington Beach. They treated us like gold and pampered us to thank us for being part of the TEAM. I love the perks that go along with being with TNT! Laiken's having some trouble with her toe and the doctors are trying to figure out what's going on. Dollar by dollar, we're getting closer to our goal. Thank you!
3/25/08 - I walked 7 miles at the beach this weekend, just maintaining right now. I am thrilled to share that I got some great news about another honored hero, Cameron, who got to leave the house for the first time in nearly a year this weekend!!! He was thrilled to go visit Target instead of the hospital... His counts are high and I'm hoping they stay that way!! Thank you to all of you for your generosity. I know that you are saving Cam's life. Thank you. Sadly, Kelly Grubb, 19, lost her battle a week ago. Another angel. I will wear her name on my back on race day.
3/21/08 - I spent the first day of spring with Laiken's family as she received her life-saving bone marrow transplant. Her mom, Stacey, was thrilled to hear that I had already raised more than $900 in just a few days!!! Such an honor to share that important day with them... Laiken enjoyed telling me all about the 4-month-old boy who is next door to her room. It was kind of hard to understand her through the plastic that kept us apart, but that is to keep every germ out. They even had to wipe down my camera before Stacey took photos for me! What a great day... I am doubly motivated to get this thing done now! Thank you to all of you who have donated so quickly and generously. Thank you!
