Marathon Fundraiser for Colorectal Cancer, in Honor of Jenny

My name is Elise Terjeson and welcome to my grief project! I will be running the Tunnel Marathon on September 8th, 2024 in honor of my Mom. My mom, Jenny Terjeson, passed on 06/10/2021 due to colorectal cancer. I am on a mission to raise money for those dealing with this disease and to connect with and support any and all going through grief.

I am slowly learning how to live with grief but it has been a very hard journey these past 3 years and will be a hard journey for… probably....forever. Each spring is especially difficult because it marks another birthday of her’s (April 7th) and another Mother’s Day without her. It was also the time of the most rapid decline in her final days and those memories come to the surface. I miss her so deeply and am so heartbroken by the injustice of her disease. So, this Spring I am deciding to run for a cause to work through this hard time. Starting in my teens, running has been a major source of therapy for me. In 2019, I ran the Tunnel Marathon (my first and only to date) and I was lucky enough to have my Mom cheering me on. To be honest, I was super unprepared, but it was an awesome experience and I’ll never forget my Mom beaming at me as I ran through the finish line. Today, Mother’s Day, marks my official starting line in training and fundraising.

Mother’s day can be a complicated day for so many but it’s so important to honor and celebrate our feminine protectors (whoever this may be to you); those who protect and project you and your being. My mom Jenny, was my feminine protector. She saw beauty everywhere and was beyond full of life. I’m forever in awe of her in so many ways but she had these two specific superpowers that inspired me to start this project:

1. She had an incredible talent for connecting with people wherever she went. And it was never just a “so-and-so-from-this-city” type connection. She would know your name and birthday, how many kids you had and all of their names, and where you went to elementary school. She asked questions and cared enough to remember your answers. From the sweet old lady that owned the cottages in Yachats, to the cheerful Starbucks barista in Sun Valley, she would make friends literally anywhere…and send them a card on their birthday.

2. She seemed to have power over time…she could bend it to her will and create more hours in the day to get more done than the average person could ever dream of. When my siblings and I were young, one day she’d be driving us to and from our out of town YMCA soccer games (which she was coordinator of for our hometown and coach of a team), then the next day would be driving up to the mountains with us 3 kids, 2-3 horses, and some snacks, to explore the Wallowas (forever my favorite mountains). As we got older, one day she’d be in Idaho with my brother Hayden as he ski raced, the next she’d be driving to visit me at college in Eugene, and the next would be in Bend visiting my sister Cora. The list could go on and on and on. Truly, now that I think of it, the only memories I have of her sitting down are driving a car or riding a horse (her favorite place to be). I’ll be honest, there were times (especially during my lovely teenage girl years) where I was like, “Chill outttt.” But I get it now. Why not do all of the things? Why not claim your time and make the absolute most of it. Through this grief project, I want to take advantage of and make use of my time, and connect with as many people along the way.

My mom was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in April of 2019. She went through multiple types of treatment in several different hospitals but the spread of the cancer could not be contained and she passed away in June of 2021. The progression of this disease seemed impossibly fast, her days in pain were devastatingly long, and the bills were unthinkably high. Everything about this disease is brutal and unfair, including the immense financial burden that comes with trying to save your life. According to the National Institutes of Health on cost of colorectal cancer treatment, “Studies reported average costs ranged from $12,346 to $293,461.”

This is why I have chosen the HeathWell Foundation to fundraise for. “The HealthWell Foundation is a leading independent non-profit dedicated to improving access to health care for America’s underinsured. When health insurance is not enough, we fill the gap by assisting with copays, premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses. In 2023, we awarded more than $1 billion in grants through our Disease Funds, and since 2004 we have helped more than 930,000 patients afford essential treatments and medications. HealthWell is recognized as one of America’s most efficient charities — 100 percent of every dollar donated goes directly to patient grants and services.

We provide financial assistance to help with:

Prescription copays

Health insurance premiums, deductibles and coinsurance

Pediatric treatment costs

Travel costs

Behavioral health services

Our Vision: To ensure that no patient goes without health care because they cannot afford it.”

All funds I raise through this gofundme will be donated to HealthWell’s Colorectal Carcinoma Disease Fund.

Follow along as I train, share stories you have, and, if you can, donate to help me raise money for a great cause.