"Why I'm Walking"

In honor of the Barnes Foundation's Second Annual Walk/Run for Life, we encouraged participants to tell us about the people they are honoring or remembering by walking. Here are three tributes we have received.

"This year I am participating in the Walk/Run for Life in honor of my nephew Michael. In 1998, at the age of 20, his life changed forever when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer). On Good Friday 1998, he started his chemotherapy. Because of the toxicity of the treatment, he had to be hospitalized each time he had chemo. His heart and bladder had to be monitored. After three grueling months of treatment, he had surgery to remove the tibia bone from his leg. They put a rod in his leg; the other option was amputation. He will never run jump or climb. He has a permanent limp and bad hips, but he is alive. He is here today because of people like yourself who took time out of their busy day to fight this horrible disease. We must never give up the fight until this disease is eradicated from our lives. Though Mike will never run, jump or climb, he now watches his daughters run, jump and climb. On behalf of Mike and my family, thank you."
- Carol Loebe, Accounts Payable, Professional Medical

"I am participating in the Walk/Run for Life in memory of my grandmother, Marietta Volz. On February 15, 2006, the day after Valentine’s Day, I stood in an ICU in Rockford, Illinois. The hospital was still bedecked with hearts and cupids and other whimsical tokens of love. They were a sharp contrast to what I saw right before my eyes – my grandfather weeping at the bedside of the love of his life. My grandmother was diagnosed with lymphoma right before Thanksgiving of 2005. By Christmas, she had begun receiving chemotherapy treatments. We sat around the table on Christmas Day helping her pick out wigs because she had already started to lose her soft brown hair. By New Year’s Eve, she had grown very weak, and the day after Valentine’s Day, we lost her. Cancer took this beautiful creature from her loving family and friends. It did so quickly, and without mercy. I had always thought that love and prayers could overcome anything, but they weren’t enough to defeat cancer. I’m walking in memory of a woman whose love lives on in me."
- Laura Kuhn, Creative Resource Copywriter, Professional Medical

“I am honored to be participating in this year’s Walk/Run for Life for my Aunt Tina. This past December (2009) she had a cold/cough that she couldn’t shake. After trying over-the-counter medications to no avail, she finally went to the doctor. On January 6t, after seeing the doctor, she drove herself to the hospital. She was admitted for what they thought was pneumonia. After further testing, on January 9 she was diagnosed with Stage 3 lung cancer. On February 2, 2010, three weeks after being diagnosed, she lost her battle with cancer. On February 24, she would have celebrated her 50th birthday. She was a free spirit that everyone LOVED to be around. She did what made her happy and lived a life that was simple yet fulfilling to her. I am walking in the hope that others diagnosed with cancer are able to live long fulfilling lives as my aunt lived hers.

“I am also walking in this year’s Walk/Run for Life for my father-in-law, Tom. He was diagnosed with lung cancer about a year and a half ago. At first, he was told he had about one year. He defied those odds. At a recent doctor’s visit, he was told that he probably wouldn’t make it through this summer. Summer is almost over and thankfully, by some miracle, he is still with us. He has been fighting valiantly for his life. He is on oxygen 24/7, he isn’t supposed to be outside for extended periods of time, he cannot do simple daily activities as they compromise his breathing. He has had to retire from a job he loved and stop doing things he truely enjoyed. Understanding that he is terminal, he stays positive about everything, he takes nothing for granted and every minute spent with loved ones is genuinely treasured. I am walking for the hope that others can continue to do the things they love and to continue to do the simple things in life that most of us take for granted. My hat’s off to you, DAD!

“From everyone in my family, immediate and extended…thank you to those of you who are walking and to those of you that have donated to a life-changing cause. God bless!”
- Cheryl Hatley, Customer Service Representative

To learn more about the Walk/Run for Life, which will be held on August 28 in New Lenox, Illinois, please click here.