In my early 20s, I ran a marathon through Team In Training (TNT). It was an amazing experience. I remember it vividly – the fundraising, the training, group training runs, support, and an honored patient – a little girl with leukemia. I remember thinking of her during the training and the race, and I tried to picture what she was going through. I finished the marathon and haven't done one since.
At age 37, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) called Burkitt lymphoma (BL). What started as a lump turned out to be cancer. At the time, my kids were young (preschool and 2nd grade), and we were living through a pandemic! Our world was completely flipped upside down. My first call was to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), now Blood Cancer United. It was here that so many resources were provided to my family and me. My most important contact, though, was through the First Connection program. I was matched with someone who had a similar cancer around the same age and with a young family. Lee really listened and was able to answer my questions – things like, what does it feel like, etc.
Last month, I reached five years cancer-free. My kids are now older, in 4th and 6th grade! What better way to pay it forward than to run another race through Team In Training? I always thought of this as an amazing opportunity to continue to help others, but to also show my kids, family, and myself what is possible!
Geoff
Burkitt lymphoma (BL)
