5K for 5 Kids - Chloe

I hate running. I mean, I really hate running. But I hate childhood cancer even more. And so, 5 weeks from today, I will join Team Break the Grey at the starting line of the Color Run in downtown Louisville and take off running/jogging/walking/crawling for 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) to show our solidarity with and for our families, and in honor of 5 courageous kids and their beautiful families.

My training thus far has been inconsistent, and when I do get out and run I'm pretty sure I look like a beached whale. To give myself and others who might be struggling with their training a little more motivation, I have asked the permission of 5 families to share their stories of childhood cancer. Thus, for the 5 weeks leading up to the race on Sunday, July 29, I will be sharing with you the stories of these brave kids and families (and yes, I have their full permission to share stories and pictures).

The Color Run to which we are counting down is in Louisville, KY, which is where all 5 of these kiddos were treated for cancer. We're running a local race for local kids. Sadly, these are only 5 kids in one city, and this does not do justice to national statistics: 

• 1 in 330 kids will develop cancer by the age of 19 in the US
• 46 kids - about 2 classrooms full - are diagnosed with cancer every single day
• There are 30,000 - 40,000 kids in treatment for cancer right now in the US
• 20% of kids diagnosed with cancer will lose their battle
• There are approximately 300 kids in treatment for cancer in Louisville, KY right now
• There are over 1,000 kids in Louisville who are affected by childhood cancer in Louisville, KY - including those who are either currently receiving therapy or who have already completed treatment

So for those of you running The Color Run for Break the Grey in other cities, know that the above statistics are reflected in your city. It would be easy to pick 5 kids facing childhood cancer to honor for your respective races. Let the stories of these 5 kids be your motivation; may they symbolize the fight for all kids all over the US.

And so, without further ado, let me introduce Amazing Chloe.

Chloe was just 4-years-old when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia on January 25, 2005.

Chloe and her Mom

 Her treatment began on January 28, and consisted for five rounds of intense chemotherapy. She did well with her therapy, and completed the five rounds of chemo.

 

Following chemo, Chloe remained in remission until the devastating news of her relapse on April 7, 2006. She underwent one round of chemotherapy to put her back into remission, and then endured a cord blood transplant on June 16, 2006.

Chloe with her Dad and her older sister, Haley

Chloe was once again in remission! Still, her cancer returned a third time in December 2007. This time, she underwent a bone marrow transplant in January 2008 in attempts to put her leukemia in remission once and for all.

 

Unfortunately, Chloe struggled with many complications from her transplant. She fought a long, hard, and valiant battle, which ultimately ended in the arms of Jesus. After fighting cancer for 39 months, Chloe passed away on June 12, 2008, at the age of 7.

 

This is why I hate childhood cancer. Because of Chloe and kids like her. Would you join Team Break the Grey and run in honor of Chloe? There are still spots open for the Louisville race in 5 weeks! Go here to register.

As you train this week, remember Chloe. Pray for her family. Pray for a cure. Keep running, and never lose hope.

Hoping, Believing, and Never Giving up,

Sarah

5K for 5 Kids

First of all, I'm sorry for the long pause between updates. On a personal level, the past couple of months have been crazy busy and full of lots of life changes. All good, though. Break the Grey is still here, and we're still encountering families affected by childhood cancer or other life-altering illnesses.

I think the last time I wrote a substantial post (not related to our technical difficulties), I wrote about the team that Break the Grey is forming for The Color Run in Louisville, KY. If you need a refresher on what the Color Run is in general, click here. In short, The Color Run is a 5K (3.1 miles) that is taking place all over the US this summer in which participants run in white t-shirts and get doused with colored dust along the route. There are races in many major US cities, including Louisville, KY and Indianapolis, IN - the two cities where most of our Break the Grey families live and seek treatment for their kids. One of our Break the Grey volunteers suggested that this would be a great "Break the Grey" event! Break the Grey = COLOR run! Get it?

Break the Grey has formed a team and running in honor of our kids and families. As far as I know, registration for the Louisville race is still open. Go here to register for the race in Louisville (the race in Indianapolis, according to the Color Run website, is sold out).

So, how does running 3.1 miles just for fun and getting completely messy help support families facing childhood cancer or other life-altering illnesses? The idea behind it is solidarity.

Living with childhood cancer or other life-altering illnesses, enduring a treatment protocol, combating side effects, processing all of it mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, and carrying on with daily life in the meantime has been compared to running a race. By running a race, even if it is only 3.1 miles, we are attempting to say to our families with our actions: "We love you. We acknowledge that what you are enduring is hard. We see that it is grueling and that you are tired. And we are with you. We are beside you. We are here to support you and encourage you. We can't run your race for you, but we will do everything that we can to offset the burden and make it as hope-filled and joy-filled as we possibly can."

To demonstrate this, our Break the Grey team will be running in honor of 5 incredibly cool Break the Grey kiddos. I have asked their parents' permission to run in honor of them and their families, and they all graciously agreed. I will be introducing one family a week on the blog up until race week, beginning next week. For a sneak peek, our 5 kids are Nick, Chloe, Adam, Patrick, and Katie.


If we've got your interest and you want to join us in running/jogging/walking/crawling the 3.1 mile race, here are some extra tid-bits you should know when you go to register:


1. There are Color Runs all over the United States. Louisville and Indianapolis happen to be the closest to many of our Break the Grey families and volunteers. If you want to sign up to run in another city, like Chicago, Dallas, or Washington, D.C., more power to you! You can register a team named Break the Grey and have a blast!

2. You may see on the website that The Color Run does support a chosen charity, but Break the Grey is NOT their chosen charity! Break the Grey and the Color Run are NOT affiliated in any way and Break the Grey will NOT be receiving any money from this event.

3. This is NOT a fundraiser! Again, the Color Run is purely for fun! The Color Run and Break the Grey are not affiliated, and Break the Grey will NOT be receiving any money from the race. This is just for awareness, solidarity, and support. Sign up to run, tell friends and family why you're doing it, write about it, talk about it, speak up about childhood cancer and other life-altering illnesses, pray for our families, and then just have fun!

4. Registration for the Louisville Color Run is still open! Slots fill up fast though, so sign up soon if you want to join!

5. There can be more than 4 runners on our team. Don't be intimidated if you go to sign up and there are more than 4 people. The more the merrier!

For those of you already training for our Color Run, I want to leave you with some updates on some of our kiddos. May their courage and determination inspire you as you run. And, while you're running, feel free to pray for them and their families to pass the miles.

Patrick, one of the 5 kids we're honoring with this race, just began his last 4-week cycle of chemotherapy for relapsed leukemia. Please pray for strength and grace for his family. Please pray that they would have peace and finish strong.

Skyler and his mom traveled from southern Indiana to Cincinnati Children's Hospital today to be admitted for surgery tomorrow. Skyler was born with a rare kidney disease and is having surgery to remove both kidneys and to place 2 different dialysis lines. His medical team is expecting the recovery time to be about 2-4 weeks inpatient before he can transition home. Please pray for comfort, peace, courage, joy, and hope for Skyler and his mom. Please also pray for Skyler's quick healing - for a non-complicated surgery and recovery.

A huge praise from Gisele: her scans about a month or two ago indicated a possible relapse in her lungs. However, when the surgeon went in to remove the masses, they found that it was histoplasmosis, NOT cancer! Gisele remains cancer-free! Praise the Lord!

Adam had open heart surgery about a month or so ago and is recovering well. His family - another one of our 5 that I'll introduce you to in the coming weeks - just returned from a retreat on the beach in Florida. Please continue to pray for Adam as he battles the after-effects of his therapy, and for his family as they all deal with the emotional side effects of cancer.

JP continues to have ongoing medical struggles. Please pray for his complete earthly healing and for his family's mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being as they adjust to their new normal.

As always, thank you all for your prayers and support! Sign up for the Color Run and tune in next week to meet our first family!

Hoping, Believing, and Never Giving up,

Sarah