In the Name of Love

“In the name of love.  One [more] in the name of love.”  – (Cue Ewan McGregor from Moulin Rouge.)

These are the words that played through my head all morning as I ran 8.5 miles.  One more step, one more mile.  Keep moving.  Keep going.  And each moment I do one more, I do it, truly, in the name of love. 

This week we celebrate Gordon’s life and mark his passing with the placing of a beautiful headstone.  We mourn the loss of a life cut short from a terrible disease. A life filled with laughter and love.  A life filled with service and hard work.  And one never empty of family and friends.  Gordon will always be cherished and we will always be grateful for the opportunity to spend this part of the journey of life with him. 

This week we also celebrate the undaunted spirit of Jamie who has lived with leukemia for almost 10 years.  Yesterday she underwent her third Donor Lymphocyte Infusion (DLI) since her bone marrow transplant when she was 16.  She is positive that this time is the time.  This time the leukemia will be gone.  Next Friday the 27^th is Jamie’s 26^th birthday.  For her birthday, I hope she gets her birthday wish: to be cancer free!  (For my birthday last year, I got to go to Vegas.  Jamie gets to spend her birthday recovering from a DLI, in SLC, right next to the hospital. What did YOU do for your last birthday?...Kind of puts it all into perspective…)

For Jamie’s birthday, I am issuing a challenge.  I know that money is tight for so many of you. I know that times may be tough.  I also know that most of you never knew my uncle Gordon and even fewer of you know Jamie.  However, most of you, sometime in your life will face the reality of losing a loved one to cancer.  Unless we find a cure. 

So here is what I am asking.  If you have donated in the past, I ask you to donate $1 more.  If you are planning on donating in the future, I ask you to keep that goal in mind, and donate $1 now.  If you have donated time or other things, I ask you to donate $1.  And if you are struggling financially and have been supporting through the “like” button on facebook only, I ask you to find that $1 and donate it on behalf of Jamie. 

Jamie literally owes her life to Team in Training.  How many more lives will you help save with $1?  Here is my website:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/oswim/trees12/kristygriffard

 
Oh, and don’t forget to wish Jamie a happy birthday!