Jason Mulgrew is fundraising
A Race to Beat MM (But Definitely Not the Other Runners)
I am running the Tree House Brewery Half Marathon on September 15, 2024. By doing so, I am hoping to raise funds for Mucosal Melanoma (MM) research with the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF).
MM is a rare and aggressive cancer. Fewer than 1000 people in the US are diagnosed with MM each year, which accounts for about 1% of all melanoma cases. MM also has a low response rate to immunotherapy and a poor survival rate; unfortunately, by the time most patients receive their MM diagnosis, the cancer has metastasized.
My mom, Kathy Callen, was diagnosed with Sinonasal Mucosal Melanoma (SMM) in the summer of 2023, at the age of 66. A vivacious and hard-working woman, she – a single mom – juggled two jobs through most of her adult life to put her three kids through expensive high schools and colleges, so that they could grow up to be (in reverse order of age) a nurse practitioner, a lawyer and whatever it is I do for a living. She then became an (extremely!) active and hands-on Mom-Mom to her five grandkids. Despite her awe-inspiring strength, the best efforts of her medical team and the support of her loved ones, my mom succumbed to SMM on April 30, 2024.
While my preference would have been to exact vengeance on this disease Inigo Montoya-style, alas, that is not possible. Therefore, the very least I can do is go for a run to help the families affected by this cancer and the scientists looking for its cure.
Here are some facts that I hope will convince you to donate:
- I just turned 45 years old.
- I would not describe myself as a “young” 45.
- I have never run an organized race before.
- I am neither a runner nor a naturally gifted athlete (though I had a reasonably successful collegiate intramural softball career).
- A half marathon is 13.1 miles – or so I have been told.
- My longest run ever, without stopping to rest or weep, was about 7 miles.
- That run took place 15 years ago.
- 15 years ago, Facebook had just surpassed MySpace in number of active users.
- I have used the Peloton bike religiously for the last 3.5 years. As such, I do have legs that could kick the doors off a tank. (This is a positive.)
- That said, thanks in large part to an apparently never-ending two-for-one special that my local Acme has on slices of cake, my overall physique is still best described as “mashed potato-esque.” (This is a negative.)
- Last week, many weeks into half-marathon training, I sneezed and in doing so hurt my shoulder (?). It took two days to heal.
So, with all due respect, this is not a walk-a-thon situation over here.
However, when I consider what a wonderful, loving person my mom was – and the extraordinary sacrifices she made for her children and the many people whose lives she touched – it is a no-brainer for me to risk irreparable damage to my knees, ankles, feet, etc. to honor her memory and help others who face this dreadful cancer.
Thank you for reading and for your consideration. If you would like to learn more about Mucosal Melanoma or the Tree House Brewery Half Marathon, you are welcome to contact me with any questions. You are also welcome to share this fundraiser with your network. Thank you again.
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101 supporters
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