A Note To Caleb

Below is a text of an email I sent to little Caleb (via his mother's email address) in the days leading up to the Boston Marathon. I've thought a lot about this little boy - during the coldest of training runs, when I wanted to quit. Without even knowing it, he's taught me a lot.

Dear Caleb,

You don’t know me, but I want to thank you. I want to thank you for being strong and for providing inspiration and hope to more people than you will ever know.

I grew up for a short time with your Aunt Danielle, and, after we reconnected many years after moving apart, I learned about your battle with leukemia. I’d been involved in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training program for several years, and hearing your story suddenly made my work with them very real and personal.

I’ve watched you from afar via the Caringbridge website. I’ve been worried for you when the news wasn’t as bright, and I’ve celebrated with you as you’ve adapted into the lifestyle of healthy little boy. These days, I’m glad when we don’t hear from you for several days. J

You may know that I’m running the Boston Marathon on Monday in your honor. You have truly given me so much inspiration, and your touching story has helped raise awareness and funds to support LLS.

To date, I’ve raised nearly $5,000 in your honor and have been truly humbled by the generosity of people. The money goes to support research and also provides family support, such as assistance with medical co-pays, travel reimbursements, support groups, etc. You have helped many people who will be in the same shoes as you and your family.

Please know that I’ll be thinking of you at every mile on Monday, just as I have during these several months of training. Your name is proudly displayed on the back of my official TNT Boston Marathon jersey (I’ll get a picture for you!) and a photo of your smiling face will be greeting runners at Mile 15 and Mile 21 along the course.

In the meantime, I thought you would like to see a little clip that aired on the New Hampshire news station last night. (It was taped a while ago, so that’s why I referred to your birthday as “last month” … don’t worry, I know you’re way older than that now!)

WMUR VIDEO CLIP: http://www.wmur.com/video/27538982/detail.html

MY FUNDRAISING PAGE: http://pages.teamintraining.org/ma/boston11/trobinsy2v

MY PERSONAL BLOG: www.my-step-by-step.blogspot.com

Thanks again, Caleb. Be well!

Your friend,

Teresa

*REMEMBER, I'm running the Boston Marathon to help save lives!**

I'm SO CLOSE to my goal! Please visit my fundraising page to support a good cause and learn more about a very special little boy. http://pages.teamintraining.org/ma/boston11/trobinsy2v. Thank you for your support!