|
| [December 10, 2012] |
 |
The Tackle Cancer Foundation Congratulates 71-Year-Old Myeloma Patient Don Wright for Reaching His Goal of Running a Marathon in All 50 States
DALLAS --(Business Wire)--
He did it!
Kimberly Alexander, Executive Director of the Tackle Cancer Foundation,
sends heartfelt congratulations to Don Wright for achieving his personal
goal of running marathons in all 50 states in the US with his completion
of the 2012 Honolulu Marathon in Hawaii. Don is running despite the fact
that he is 71 years old, and despite the fact that he has cancer. He was
diagnosed with multiple myeloma just as he began running marathons nine
years ago, and he remains on active treatment.
"I'm surprised at how emotional I felt crossing the finish line of my
dreams," said Don Wright. "When I started running marathons it was just
for fun, and only in recent years did I think I could actually run in
all 50 states. It was a difficult marathon with the heat and humidity,
but in the end we got it done."
Don's cancer, myeloma, also called multiple myeloma, is a blood cancer
that affects cells in the bone marrow and can damage bone. It cannot yet
be cured, but with new drugs and treatments, some people with myeloma
can look forward to years of active, fruitful life. Don is on an
investigational new drug called pomalidomide, an oral medication that
left him free to travel to reach his goal.
Kimberly says, "Don serves as an inspiration to us all to press forward
to the best of our abilities. We can't all run marathons but we can
maintain our hopes and dreams despite obstacles in our path."
Don races under his "E-Race Cancer banner on behalf of the Tackle
Cancer Foundation (www.tacklecancer.org)
and Team Continuum (www.teamcontinuum.net).
Both charities help pay essential cost-of-living bills for cancer
patients, and both were founded by patients with myeloma.
Kimberly Alexander runs Tackle Cancer in memory of her late husband,
former NFL football player Elijah Alexander. She will welcome Don back
from his achievement when he flies directly to Atlanta and the American
Society of Hematology conference underway there. A reception will be
held in his honor. Don and his family return to Minnesota on Tuesday.
ABOUT THE TACKLE CANCER FOUNDATION
The Tackle Cancer Foundation pays utility bills for families who have a
child diagnosed with cancer. TCF also raises awareness and supports
initiatives towards finding a cure for the blood cancer multiple myeloma
in memory of our founder, former NFL linebacker Elijah Alexander (www.tacklecancer.org).
IMPORTANT LINKS:
Twitter (News - Alert) http://twitter.com/eRaceCancer
Facebook (News - Alert)
www.facebook.com/eRaceCancer
Don's
running blog http://minnesotadon.blogspot.com/
Don's
myeloma blog http://myelomahope.blogspot.com/
[ Sports Techy's Homepage ]
|
