Help Kara raise money

Cancer takes so much -- independence, certainty, time, etc.

Paradoxically, cancer also provides perspective. There is a renewed sense of joy and appreciation of the present moment that comes from desperation. 

I am who I am because of my experience watching both of my parents fight cancer.

My mom, Kim, defied all odds by living for nine years with stage 4 breast and cervical cancer. As I grew up, I watched her face each stage of this terminal diagnosis with grace and authenticity. Until the very end, my mom fully embraced that even the most uneventful day is a precious gift.

My dad, Gary, died in October of last year while hospitalized and receiving treatment for stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (DLBCL). Unlike with my mom, his cancer journey was quick and brutal, spanning just 6 months from diagnosis to death. As my dad negotiated the balance between hope and realism, I was reminded that "hope" is not the belief that something will turn out well, but rather that something is worth doing no matter how it turns out.  

I also know I'm not the only one who feels changed by the experience of loved ones facing the fight of their lives.

In honor of all those affected by cancer, I'm fundraising for AACR, which -- among other missions -- provides grant funding to further drug discovery. At the end of the day, it's cancer research and novel treatments that can give patients the most precious gift of all: time.