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I want to thank everyone for coming out today. (December
11, 2005)
Thanks to all the sponsors - Nolan Painting, Inc., Sir Speedy,
MAB Paints, Ascis, and the Bryn Mawr Running Company.
Bob Scwelm from the Bryn Mawr Running Company asked if I
wanted to say a few words before the race. I've known Bob
for a number of years through his store and running.
My name is Mike and I recently came through treatment and
recovery for Leukemia. I don't have any secrets on why or
how I made it through. Most likely a lot had to do with luck
but I will say that a lot also had to do with the support
I received from my friends and family. Now included in that
group of friends and family are people like you all. People
who know someone who has suffered. People who may know a friend
of a friend, or a relative who may have not been able to beat
cancer. To that end, we all have something in common, we either
knew Brandon or can relate to Brandon because someone close
to us has suffered and struggled.
I thanked the sponsors and everyone for coming out today
but I also want to thank Brandon. His journey taken 8 years
ago is part of the reason I am alive today. Everyone who has
gone before has done something to help beat cancer. My leukemia
had a mortality rate of 100% just 20 years ago. Today it is
down to 50%. Maybe Brandon didn't realize it at the time,
or maybe it seemed insignificant at the time back in 1997.
Maybe it was something a doctor realized because of Brandon.
Or maybe he helped prove which medicines are better for certain
symptoms. Or maybe he inspired his family and friends to come
out every year in December in the cold and remember and raise
money to help defeat cancer. I owe a debt of gratitude to
all the Brandons who have gone before me.
During my ordeal, one of the things I did to help myself
day-to-day in getting through my treatments and recovery was
to personify cancer as the bully that it is. It is a mean
spirited jerk that can ruin lives. It is cruel and uncaring
and it thinks it is invincible. Today we're here to remind
cancer that you may be all of those things except you are
not invincible. You didn't beat Brandon, and there are all
of us here to prove that. We will continue to raise money
to beat you. We will continue to raise awareness so that the
Brandons are never lost in vain. Every year we will add more
people to our side because we know that it is our "collective
defense approach" - that an attack on one is considered
an attack on all. It may take another 8 years or 80 years
or another 800 runners but we will not stop. We will be here
in the cold running this race when we talk of cancer as a
has-been, mentioned in the same sentence with polio and measles,
and mumps. This bully called cancer will remember us when
we run it down - even if we do it 3 miles at a time every
second Sunday in December!
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