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Allison's StoryIt was just another typical day in my life… I spend my days running a boutique management consulting firm and volunteering at my son's elementary school. That day I had gone from meeting to meeting, phone call to phone call so it was just a typical day… but not really. I was having dinner that night with a friend; a man who has been a mentor to me…and my plan had been to talk to him that night and get some advice, but not about the typical things. Of course there would be the obligatory talk about work and family, but this time I wanted to talk to him about the fact that I was turning 40 in June and it was time to “do something big.” I know I have a great life… I am an amazingly fortunate mother of two with a great husband and a job that I love – in fact, I co-own the business. I have a wonderful loving family… I have my parents, my sister and I'm in perfect health. So…I really have nothing to complain about. But I still felt like something was missing…. I am a person who believes in giving back…and I wasn't sure if I was really doing enough of that. My friend and I were talking frankly and openly about our lives and our challenges. My friend is a cancer survivor and he sees things in a different way from those who haven't walked in his shoes. As the conversation progressed he asked me if I would be interested in doing some fundraising for LLS. He described it as a competition that takes place every spring and told me that he thought I would be a great candidate. By the time we were done with dinner…I basically had agreed to meet with someone from the Society. After meeting with a woman from LLS, I went home and conferred with my family. Then I spoke to my friends and my staff and decided to accept my nomination and participate in the Man & Woman of the Year competition. The overall goal for our local National Chapter is to raise 1 million dollars in 10 weeks. When I heard that I was thinking… what a lofty goal…but at the same time I was thinking we should really do no less. To that end, my personal goal is to raise $100,000. This disease, that almost took the life of my friend, and all other cancers, must be stopped in their tracks. Disease is far too often talked about as though it is just a word – maybe a terrible word, but just a word. But really it has a name and a face and it's Ken, and Ron, and Sue, and Jackie, and mom and dad. This fight and this competition, is really about my friend and your friends and your family and, quite possibly – you. As I thought more about why I was doing this, I was reminded of my first experience with Lymphoma. One of my best friends in the whole world is from Pennsylvania . She and I met at our graduate school orientation session… and one day, we were both walking around campus lost and somehow realized that we were trying to find the same place. As we became friends, she confided in me that her father had Lymphoma and was undergoing chemo. I remember thinking how sad and lonely she must have felt to be away from her family and living in a new city . So…one day into our studies, she asked if I would wait outside of her dormitory while she called her father to get the results of his CT scan. As I was waiting, I nervously thought of my own father and it gave me a glimpse of what she might have been going through. Then she came running out of the dormitory to tell me that he was cancer free. Over the months when he would visit, I could see his strength improve… Then, on graduation day, I remember how proud he was to be there and what a joy it was for my friend to have her father there to celebrate it with her. This was really my first “up close and personal” experience with cancer… and that was nearly 18 years ago and I can remember it like it was yesterday. Now, my friend's father has a new cancer. And although we're reliving this story again, we know that with the contributions of so many people over the years, his possibility for renewed life is better than it was 18 years ago. So, what I am saying is that this campaign is important for all of us. It's really about life and death. And sure… we hear that a lot, but, you know what, this is serious stuff. Cancer is color blind…and pervasive and onerous and ugly and mean and nasty and ….ever present. It hides in the shadows and attacks when you least expect it. It takes the lives of our parents, our siblings, our spouses, and even our children. It laughs at us as we cry… It disfigures and distorts and demeans…and it's a fact of life….and death. This campaign is important for all of us. My son asked me what I wanted for my birthday this year and I said: Jakob, this year I want all those who know me, work with me, who are friends with me, and who love me, to make a contribution for this fight… and its not for me, but for all the people who need us including my friend's dad Ron. So, now I realize that my campaign isn't about giving back. My campaign is about giving life. So, please join in my Challenge for Life by making a contribution to the LLS. Together, we can save lives. Contact Us:
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