I have been blessed by children…

I had the privilege of being a member of the St. Jude Heroes Running Team in 2007. We ran the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C. to raise money for the children. We met in our plush, private tent in Charity Village prior to the start of the race. We were treated like royalty. We were all excited, joking about the close proximity of Arlington Cemetery to the finish line. That’s when “IT” happened…

On the wall of the tent were several signs with the St Jude child logo. From a distance I noticed scribbling all over the signs. I moved closer to see hand written names with messages like “Good Luck Heroes.” I asked the director what I was looking at. I was completely overwhelmed and brought to tears by her answer.

She told me the kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital sent the signs to thank and wish us good luck. Children, many of whom were terminally ill were wishing “ME” good luck. Some of the bravest children you could ever see!

This turned out to be one of my toughest races. Unbeknownst to me I had bladder cancer (this was a year and a half before my diagnosis) and at mile 20 stomach cramps set in. I never considered quitting, though. These brave, sick little kids had wished me luck and I wasn’t about to let them down. Running those final 6 miles seemed to take an eternity but as I crossed the finish line I realized these kids had carried me.

They have continued to carry me for some time. I think of them often when I’m in treatment. God willing I’ll run for them again when I get back to full strength.