In September of 2019, my son brought home his first book from the school library for the year. It was about the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on seven continents. As we read the book before bed, something triggered in my mind when we got to the section about Mount Kilimanjaro. What was it? Where had I recently seen something about Kilimanjaro? I pushed it to the side, finished up the book, and got my little ones off to sleep.
As soon as they were down, I went to my computer and searched my history and there it was. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) had a program available through Team in Training (TNT) called Climb 2 Cure. One of the trips was to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. With no further research, and realizing after the fact that I really didn’t know exactly where this mountain was, I sent an e-mail to LLS to let them know I would be joining them in the fall of 2020.
And that is how my journey began. No knowledge. No facts. Just a feeling. A gut feeling to say YES! I am doing THIS! I decided to, simply put, dive in.”
Let Me Tell You About Harry
In June of 2012, a good friend of mine passed away from leukemia. Harry was an amazing, exceptional human ― so full of love. He was the kind of guy who warmed up a room just by walking into it. He loved making people laugh. He had THE BEST laugh! He also loved the outdoors. At Harry’s services, the minister shared with us that during his final days, Harry expressed that he really didn’t want people coming to visit a grave site. He wanted us to know that he would always be nearby in nature ― that when we step outside and hear the birds chirping, when we hit the slopes in the winter, when we see a rainbow … all of those things would be him saying hello. We would always be able to find Harry in nature. He would be all around us.
I have seen more rainbows since Harry passed away than I ever did before ― rainbows on sunny days and so many on dark, overcast days where rainbows just shouldn’t be.
In the years that followed, as my running buddy shared with me her amazing experiences of being part of TNT and fundraising for LLS, Harry always came to mind and I would think, “hmmm … maybe someday I will do something with LLS, too.”
Summitting for Many
And so here I am, preparing to summit Mount Kilimanjaro this October, fundraising to give back to LLS in a big way, in memory of Harry and of all the individuals that have been affected by leukemia and other blood cancers. I’ll be doing this in support of all the families that have been impacted, and in support of another close friend of mine who very recently shared with me he, too, has been diagnosed with leukemia.
At just over 19,000 feet, Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa, in the country of Tanzania. The six-day, 45-mile climb to the summit will take me through five different ecosystems, surely be full of twists and turns, and present physical, emotional and mental challenges along the way. My climb will require commitment, persistence, determination and grit. But I know that my climb pales in comparison to the climb faced by those battling blood cancer head on.
A cancer of the body’s blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow and the lymphatic system, leukemia strikes about 200,000 people in the United States every year. There are many different forms of leukemia, some much harder to beat than others.
When things get tough, I will think of Harry and all the individuals and their families affected by blood cancer and I will, no doubt, find the strength to push on. I know that I have everything I need to reach my summit, and when I do, when I stand at the top of Kilimanjaro, arms open wide, taking it all in and smiling so big, I will celebrate Harry’s life and all the joy he brought to others. I will celebrate his love for the outdoors. I will celebrate the lives of all those who have lost their battle with blood cancer, those who are currently fighting and those who are survivors.
And maybe, just maybe, there will be a rainbow.
Support Heather’s fundraising efforts by making a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphatic Society.
