In September 2019, I was diagnosed with sarcoma. I underwent radiation therapy, followed by surgery that December. The journey through physical therapy was difficult. At times painful and seemingly hopeless. But over time, I grew into a new normal and overcame obstacles I never thought I could.

I couldn’t have made it through without the unwavering support and love of my friends and family. This was, without a doubt, the hardest experience of my life. When I first received the diagnosis, I felt completely lost. But my mom looked at me and said, “You are not alone in this. I’ll be with you every step of the way.” At first, I didn’t fully understand what that meant, but I quickly learned. Her constant presence gave me strength.

Thank you, Mom, for standing by my side through every low and every triumph. Thank you, Dad, for driving me to radiation and therapy appointments each and every morning so I never had to face them alone. Thank you to my boyfriend for keeping my spirits up and encouraging me to keep fighting. And thank you to every friend and family member who called, checked in, or showed up to a doctor appointment just to be there.

I’m filled with gratitude for every single small act of love that carried me through this. I hope you’ll join me at the run—to celebrate how far we’ve come and to keep fighting for a cure together. 💛

Thanks to the Race to Cure Sarcoma events, SFA has invested over $20 million in sarcoma research, funding over 200 grants in 12 countries leading to close to 200 total publications. This has led to $26 million+ in additional funding, 10+ clinical trials with 5 additional pending, and 2 patents. Your investment in the RTCS events, is an investment in saving lives.