Running for those who can't

This is going to sound cliche, but it takes someone special to really affect change.  Sure, we can all do our part and pitch in, but does it ever really help?

This is a story of someone who truly touched people's lives and continues to even after she's gone.  Brenda Mehling Wong was my aunt.  She was a fun-spirited woman who had a crazy love affair with SpongeBob Squarepants.  Brenda was diagnosed with breast cancer in her early twenties.  She didn't let it get her down, though.  Instead, she forged on and created the Brenda Mehling Cancer Fund, which supports young cancer patients undergoing treatment with services to meet their daily needs, including help with rent, transportation, insurance co-payments and other essentials that are often forgotten about during the rigors of treatment.  Since 2001, the fund has helped more than 380 young adults across 30 states.

Brenda did that.  She realized that our health care system was lacking when it came to providing the necessities for cancer patients.  Unfortunately, helping others wasn't enough to help Brenda, and after her second battle with breast cancer, she died in 2004.  Her vision, though,  still continues through BMCF.

The reason I'm talking about Brenda on my running blog?  One of the big fundraisers for the fund is a 5k race held next weekend (May 14) that I will be running. This is the 10th anniversary of the race and they've added a 10k, which I'll be running.  You can still register and anyone in the Santa Clarita area should definitely come out and support a really good foundation.

But what, really, does this all have to do with you? With me beyond next weekend when I run in the race?  It's about not taking for granted the fact that you can run.  Can put one foot in front of the other.  Can actually do what you enjoy.  The next time you lace up, think about the people who can't run.  Whenever I hit a really tough spot in my run, I think about my aunt, who was badly injured in a car accident many years ago.  She has metal rods in her legs and cannot stand for an extended amount of time.  What is a little side-stitch compared to the pain that she goes through everyday?  Her body keeps her hostage, while mine allows me to do great things.  Thinking of what I can do that she can't helps me to push through. Don't take things for granted.  Run for those who can't.