15K/Brooklyn Half for Sarcoma
Hello Friends and Family,
On April 19th I will be running a 15K in Prospect Park, Brooklyn in order to raise money and awareness for a rare type of bone cancer (Chondrosarcoma) that my dear friend Janina Brandt (pictured on the far left) was diagnosed with last year.
Janina was diagnosed just 6 months after giving birth to her twin boys. Janina had two- thirds of her left femur removed and reconstructed with cadaver bone that saved her life.
While Janina's surgery was a success in terms of getting rid of the cancer and reconstructing her leg, 6 months after surgery her bone had not regenerated enough to allow her to walk again. Janina felt lucky to be under the care of a doctor (Dr. Thomas Temple) who had just finalized a 15-year project to create the first stem cell (the MIAMI cell) for bone regeneration and healing. During her second surgery Janina was the first patient to receive the MIAMI cell. A month after this surgery Janina's bone began regenerating and now, five months later, she's walking with a cane: slowly regaining her mobility and her life.
Believe it or not, Janina is luckier than most patients diagnosed with Chondrosarcoma because her cancer was caught so early. Chondrosarcoma typically doesn't respond to radiation or chemotherapy, so there are few treatment options at this point.
The rarity of sarcoma cancers is a barrier to attracting researchers and raising funds and it is a family of cancers as destructive and evil as any other.
I am happy to have the chance to raise money in honor of my friend Janina. Those of you who know her know how blessed I am to count her as a friend- she is loving, smart, funny and one of the kindest people I know. I am so grateful that Janina is in recovery and I am confident that she will walk unassisted one day soon.
Janina has been told that she will never be able to run again. So, I'm running the race for both of us. Please consider donating today.
On April 19th I will be running a 15K in Prospect Park, Brooklyn in order to raise money and awareness for a rare type of bone cancer (Chondrosarcoma) that my dear friend Janina Brandt (pictured on the far left) was diagnosed with last year.
Janina was diagnosed just 6 months after giving birth to her twin boys. Janina had two- thirds of her left femur removed and reconstructed with cadaver bone that saved her life.
While Janina's surgery was a success in terms of getting rid of the cancer and reconstructing her leg, 6 months after surgery her bone had not regenerated enough to allow her to walk again. Janina felt lucky to be under the care of a doctor (Dr. Thomas Temple) who had just finalized a 15-year project to create the first stem cell (the MIAMI cell) for bone regeneration and healing. During her second surgery Janina was the first patient to receive the MIAMI cell. A month after this surgery Janina's bone began regenerating and now, five months later, she's walking with a cane: slowly regaining her mobility and her life.
Believe it or not, Janina is luckier than most patients diagnosed with Chondrosarcoma because her cancer was caught so early. Chondrosarcoma typically doesn't respond to radiation or chemotherapy, so there are few treatment options at this point.
The rarity of sarcoma cancers is a barrier to attracting researchers and raising funds and it is a family of cancers as destructive and evil as any other.
I am happy to have the chance to raise money in honor of my friend Janina. Those of you who know her know how blessed I am to count her as a friend- she is loving, smart, funny and one of the kindest people I know. I am so grateful that Janina is in recovery and I am confident that she will walk unassisted one day soon.
Janina has been told that she will never be able to run again. So, I'm running the race for both of us. Please consider donating today.
Organizer
Becky D.
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY
The Sarcoma Alliance
Beneficiary