Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)

Dave and I have been a part of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) since 1998. I can’t even remember how many Team In Training events we’ve done. We have both done at least one a year if not more since Michael, our son, was diagnosed.

I used to donate blood at least three times a year. I did it as a way of helping others and never realized it would one day lead to me being diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). But that’s exactly what happened in 2006, when a case of anemia kept me from donating blood that year.

It all started with a race...  I began running back in 2011 with the sole purpose of losing weight.  I joined a running group and became interested in races, specifically the Nike Women's Half Marathon. I entered the lottery and was not selected but then one of my friends recommended running for a charity.

In the summer of 2006 I received a letter in the mail much like what you get around the holidays telling of the adventures over the past year.  My friend had recently moved to Tucson with her family.  She shared pictures of their kids and told about the transition from the Seattle area to Tucson.

My daughter is Madeline Conley.  On January 7, 2014, three days after her 15th birthday,  she was diagnosed with leukemia (AML/MDS).  She was a high school cheerleader and cheer coach who was basically ripped out of her normal active life and immediately admitted to the hospital, where she spent the next five months. It was the scariest thing we've ever been through.