I would once again like to introduce you to my friend Jodi, for whom I have organized my event/fundraiser.
Her father passed away when she was just 13 years old. She was very close with her dad and was devastated as you can guess. Some of you have suffered similar losses, I have not. I can only imagine.
Not long after her mother signed her rights away to her for whatever her reasons were. She kept her little brother though. Now we have all endured our different sorts of abandonment and rejection in life – and no one is necessarily worse or more painful than another – I don’t make light of any of it. I just know that there are certain things that just create a whole new level of unacceptable and for some, impossible to overcome. I am not here to pass judgment, that is not my point, I just would certainly venture to say at least in my own opinion that this line was drawn here.
Jodi fell into a similar text book pattern of self-destruction in her early adulthood, but through faith and pure will to fight, she rose above her inwardly-abusive behaviors and did something remarkable – she lost nearly 200 pounds by eating healthy and exercising.
She fell in love, she got married, and things were falling into place nicely. Twenty weeks into her pregnancy, she was diagnosed with ‘terminal’ cancer and told to terminate the pregnancy to begin treatments right away, as her only chance to live.
She rejected this idea. So the doctors told her she would likely not live to see her child turn two. Her beautiful daughter Emilee just turned six.
Hallelujah praise the Lord.
Jodi fights cancer daily. She has pain she hardly talks about that makes me want to smack myself in the face when I think I have something to complain about. She doesn’t know how much longer she has but she lives each day to its fullest. She tries to do things that she doesn’t think she is good at like arts and crafts to make Emilee’s birthday special. And what I really love – I love it all – but what I really super dig, is how hard she works out and eats healthy and RUNS. She runs her brains off.
She just finished her first marathon!! And not just that, she ran a 5k and a half and the marathon in 3 days – because why not?!!
Sadly – insurance doenst pay all the bills. She has lost her home and has even sold her furniture. I don’t want to embarrass her – she never complains – but I want to help her and her family in any way possible.
In 34 days I will run for 24 hours straight. I will NOT stop. And during this time, you can run with me, wherever you are, for any distance you chose, and you’ll get a beautiful medal I designed after Jodi (it’s a cupcake with stars) 😉
If you don’t want to run, or walk – you can just donate. If everyone would just give a little bit, it will all add up, and hopefully help a fellow sister, mom, runner.
Thank you
Kirsten
Donate here:
Here is Jodi…
Here is the medal…
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