Honorees

Every season, each team picks a few people to recognize as their team honorees. Our team has 6 honorees, each which who have had very personal experiences with blood cancers or lymphomas. Here they are in no particular order...

Louis Lai

Diagnosed with multiple myeloma in August 2004, Louis is now 2 years cancer-free after receiving a second stem cell transplant. Besides being a cancer survivor, Louis is also amazing because he is on our run team, training to run either the Avenue of the Giants Half-Marathon or the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon! I've had the pleasure of running with Louis and have found out that underneath his somewhat shy personality is a very kind soul.

Michael Friedman

In July 2000, Michael was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), just 4 months after running his 5th marathon. Since then, he has been placed on 4 different drugs and now has been in remission since February 2004. As a cancer "survivor" (he refuses to be called a cancer patient), he continues to run endurance events, including 3 additional marathons and 2 more half-marathons.

Cole Regan

Cole was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at just 7 weeks of age in December 2002. After undergoing several rounds of chemotherapy, blood transfusions, antibiotics, ventilator support, and more than 75 procedures (surgery, imaging requiring anesthesia, bone marrow aspirations, etc.), unfortunately, Cole took his last breath in July 2004 after sustaining 3 strokes. However, Cole's memory lives on in Cole's mom, Brandy, who continues to be a "honoree mom" for Team in Training.

Brenda Donato

Brenda was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in February 2005. After 3 months in the hospital and receiving a stem-cell transplant, she became very active with Team in Training, and eventually went on to complete 1 marathon, 1 half-marathon, 1 triathlon, and was training for another half-marathon with TNT before passing away in April 2007.

Brenda was an avid blogger and documented her life on My Space.

She is also being remembered in the Brenda Donato Rainbow 5K Fun Run and Walk on April 13, 2008 in Walnut Creek, CA.

Michael Parrott

Matt is currently a Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley in Philosophy. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in July 2007. He is currently in remission.

Adrianna Tucker

Adrianne was 9 years old when she was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Now at age 11, she is doing much better and enjoys playing soccer and doing karate. She is a true inspiration as she continues to help raise funds for Children's Hospital Oakland. If she could do anything in the world, she would "save all the animals and end the war".

In addition to our team honorees, thank you to all of you who have given me names of your loved ones so that I may run in their honor. I think of them before every run when we do our team "shout-outs" and moment of silence.

And even though I cannot list all my patients' names because of hospital confidentiality laws, they are a constant reminder and motivation for my runs...