$ 10,575

105%

$ 10,000

Julie Tyson Westcott's Team In Training Page

RACING TO SAVE LIVES --- JOIN MY "CURES ROCK!" CAMPAIGN

6/2/2008 Update: I AM A MARATHONER!  Yesterday, I ran 26.2 miles to complete my first marathon & we all raised $10,575 for charity!!!   I completed my marathon with a chip time of 5:54:37.  It was slower than I planned, but hey, it's the Rock 'N' Roll marathon, so there's not much incentive to move fast with bands along every mile and my family in four (!!!) places to cheer me on!  I owe a massive thank you for your support of my "Cures Rock!" Campaign.  This is about celebration of my survivorship, so even if you cannot donate, please still cheer, read my blog (link below), and/or pass this web site on to your friends and family -- I've always been a chronic over-achiever, so considering it's the 20th Anniversay Year of Team in Training, let's keep raising money (I can collect a few weeks after the marathon, too, so it's not too late to donate!!!)  The dollar you donate could be the last one needed to find a cure!!!

SEE ME CROSS THE FINISH LINE ON VIDEO:  If you go to this site (http://video.nbcsandiego.com/player/?id=257872), you can view me crossing the finish line!!  If you watch the clock in the video and fast forward, move it to the clock time of 6:02:27. You'll see Lisa (left) and me (right in black shorts) running down the center, we hold our hands together and run across the finish at 6:02:34!!

Channel 10 ABC News in San Diego has been covering my story. To see the newscast, go to: http://www.10news.com/video/16402103/index.html

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I have created an online journal, so my generous sponsors can track my progress... and, of course, laugh with me (or at me) as I train. My marathon is coming up on June 1st in San Diego, so stay tuned on my progress! MY BLOG:  HTTP://CURESROCK.BLOGSPOT.COM  Also, please view my TNT Journey Video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLZmY6DUHrI

For more info:  Team in Training (www.teamintraining.org) & Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (www.lls.org) 

********* MY STORY **********

I am training to participate in an endurance event as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training (TNT) are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. We need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

So...why am I running a marathon instead of going to the day spa on June 1, 2008?  Here's my up-front-and-personal story of my connection to blood cancer:

I am running the San Diego Rock 'N' Roll Marathon (yup, all 26.2 miles!) in celebration of being a cancer survivor.  After being diagnosed with blood cancer (Acute Myelogenous Leukemia - AML) in fall 2006, I have successfully kicked deadbeat "Luke" (my nickname for leukemia) to the curb.  I could not have done it alone --- I had friends and family, adopted "family," friends-of-friends, coworkers and fellow cancer patients supporting me in my fight. 

I was planning on running the Rock 'N' Roll marathon last year in June 2007, but that plan was sidelined as I faced a new endurance race of my own with chemo treatments. My dear friends --- Joe Pavlicko, Judy Dashiell and Mike Sheehy --- came together with a secret plot behind my back.  In February 2007, Mike became the marathon runner for TNT, Judy the motivator, and Dr. Joe the brains behind the operation.  The day of the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon came around, and as Joe, Judy and I went to watch from the sidelines, I received the surprise of a lifetime --- They told me that Mike was out there running the marathon for "Team Julie" and ~$4000 had been raised in donations for the L&L Society through his participation in TNT (Thank you!!!).  At the end of the race, we raised a few bottles of Bud to my recovery and to me crossing the finish line in 2008.

I am happy to report that I am working to complete my part of that agreement.  I am now 100% in remission.  I have started to raise money for the Society and would love your support as I train for the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon on June 1st. (Yes, Mike will be running it to hold up his end of the bargain and running it, too!)

Cures Rock!  Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance the L&L Society's mission to find a cure. My goal is to raise $10,000!  Look at it this way:  The faster we raise the funds, the closer we are to finding the cure --- and that cure will make a difference to someone you know... me.  

Thank you for your support!

Happy (running) trails,

Julie

P.S. To join my e-newsletter mailing list that I will send out as I train, email me at: curesrock@gmail.com

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What is AML?

Acute leukemia is a malignancy arising from bone marrow cells. Normal bone marrow contains immature cells (including stem cells) that produce mature blood cells including red blood cells (carry oxygen), white blood cells (fight infection), and platelets (prevent bleeding). When some immature cells in the bone marrow become malignant, they reproduce in great numbers and crowd out the normal cells in the bone marrow. This condition, called acute leukemia, prevents production of normal cells.

In “Julie Speak”, AML is when the bad blood cells are immature cells (called blasts) which cannot do their job because they are big-time losers. The number of these cells increases fast. Basically, the bone marrow is spitting out too many adolescent kid cells, and they just don’t know when to choose an identity, grow up and leave home to get a bloody job. :)