Dallas Light The Night Honored Hero: Brennen Lyons

The Light The Night Walk (LTN) to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) celebrates participants in all stages of a cancer battle - patients, survivors, caregivers, friends and family.  Each year the LTN team selects a couple honored heroes for each walk site to serve as inspiration.

Brennen Lyons is one of the 2017 honored heroes for the Dallas Walk.  As you read his story, told by his mother, you will see why he was chosen for this honor.  He is such a strong little boy.

Brennen was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the age of 2.

His mother tells his story in her own words.

"Just the word “Leukemia” was scary to me at the time.  I had no idea everything that went along with it and the journey we were about to be on as a family.  I guess the story really starts the first week of June.  I had to be admitted to the hospital to be monitored for a week before I could deliver Brennen’s little sister, Brooklyn.  It was the first time I had been away from Brennen overnight.  He started to be extremely cranky, not eating well and waking up at night.  We contributed it all to the fact he was away from his mommy for the first time.  I finally delivered my baby girl on June 11, 2010.  That day, my parents brought Brennen up to the hospital to see me and his new sister.  I immediately asked them if they thought his face looked puffy.  Everyone told me he looked fine and nothing was wrong.  However, when we got home, the crying, not eating well, etc. continued.  I called his pediatrician and got a same day appointment.  Verdict- ear infection.  Ok, no big deal.  He had several before this one.  But two days later and he was not improving and now his little lymph nodes were swollen.  Took him back to pediatrician and they explained the infection was just really bad and gave a stronger antibiotic.  Next morning, his little neck looked like he swallowed a golf ball.  Once again, back to the pediatrician.  This time, they decided to run labs.  Nurse came back in the room and explained the sample didn’t work and they needed to get another sample.  I didn’t think much of it.  About 10 minutes later, the pediatrician came in and started crying.  Instinctively, I started crying and I didn’t even know anything yet!  The fact the doctor was crying was a very bad sign!  She explained to me that her machine wouldn’t even read Brennen’s white blood count due to it being high and that she was certain he has either Lymphoma or Leukemia.  My heart sunk but a part of me thought she could be wrong.   She called Texas Children’s Hospital and told them we were on our way.

When we arrived, they were indeed waiting for us.  They instantly took us back to a room, ran labs, did an echocardiogram, x-rays- you name it.  Within a few hours, they confirmed he had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.  His WBC was so high they were afraid his little organs were going to shut down and he had a large mass around his heart and trachea.  He would have literally suffocated if I had not taken him in when I did and the mass continued to grow.  Due to his high counts, he was admitted to the ICU.  That day and the days to follow for the next 3 ½ years have left memories a mother should never have.  Watching what he had to go through was heartbreaking.

Brennen is truly my hero.  He would wear a smile even when in pain.  He endured 26 Lumbar punctures, 10 days of radiation, 6 cancer center hospital stays, 1 ICU stay, 7 blood transfusions, 2 bone marrow aspirations and 3 years, 3 months and 27 days of chemotherapy!!

I thank God every day for Brennen’s strength and courage to get through.  I am so grateful!  I pray for a cure so others do not have to go through this."

Inspired by Brennen? Consider walking alongside him on Saturday, November 11th at Trinity Groves in Dallas. Registration is now open. 

#TNTBECAUSE - Meet Kathleen Tucker

Team In Training is starting a series of blog posts leading up to the BMW Dallas Marathon. We will be interviewing current Team In Training participants to find out why they are training and fundraising for this event. First up is Kathleen Tucker. Kathleen has been involved with TNT since 2012 and raised over $35,000. Read on to hear why she is doing the Dallas Marathon.

1. What made you decide to run the BMW Dallas Marathon?

When I learned that The Dallas Marathon would be a National event I didn't want to miss out on being a part of it. What an exciting thing for North Texas! This will be my 3^rd event in 2016, following the Pixie Dust Challenge and Chicago Marathon. Unfortunately, I’m currently sidelined with an injury so I’m not able to complete the Chicago Marathon this weekend but will still be traveling with the team to cheer them on.

2. What does it mean to you that the BMW Dallas Marathon has been named a national event for Team In Training?

It's an opportunity to show off the awesomeness that we are here in North Texas and the passion we have in our fight against blood cancer. There are so many dedicated folks centered right in our area and it's a great network of support and I'm thrilled we get to show it off!

3. What got you involved with Team In Training?
My brother, Billy, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2004 and lived less than one year after his diagnosis. He was an amazing big brother and had a huge influence on me. The year he was diagnosed I learned about Light the Night and formed a small team to walk. Billy was in treatment at the time but also came out and walked part of the course with us which made it that even more special. I had a team four more years after his death, but then took a break and ended up taking up running. After a race one time, a person at a purple tent handed me a TNT brochure and I was already familiar with LLS. I went to an information meeting shortly after and signed up for my first marathon, Rock n Roll San Diego in 2012. Since then, both my husband and I have done multiple events and have raised over $35,000 for Team in Training. Additionally, I lost my sister, Sharon, to renal cancer in 2013. Cancer has taken too much from me for me to not be involved in the fight to cure cancer so I keep going.

4. Finish this sentence, I do “TNTBecause…”
I do TNT because it helps fill the void that cancer has left in my heart.

5. Tell us about the team you’ve formed to run the relay with.
Our team consists of me, my husband-Mike Tucker, my two friends who are sisters Kayla Hughes and Amanda Wood-their father is a multiple myeloma survivor and Jonathan Eckberg-his father (Dave Eckberg) has been battling CCL for the last 14 years. We've all been impacted by blood cancers.

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Did you know?

• BMW Dallas Marathon is the longest running race in the state of Texas
• More than 40 different bands are on the course for your entertainment
• Stay 2 nights at the TNT hotel and you can skip expo lines and have your packet waiting in your hotel room!
• Earn Awesome Fundraising Incentives

Join the Dallas Marathon TNT Team or join the 5 Person Relay!  150 people have already taken the challenge.  Contact Mariel Bongiovanni for more details. 

www.teamintraining.org/ntx

Honored Hero Run Logo Design Winner

Blood cancer has touched the lives of everyone involved in the Honored Hero Run.  The race, which was created by a group of Team In Training alumni, is held every October and benefits The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).  Race organizers have incorporated a number of elements into the race which focus on the LLS mission and local patients and survivors. One of the most visible ways they include local blood cancer patients is through the annual logo design competition.  

Each year the Honored Hero Run Board of Directors visits local hospitals (Cook Children’s and Medical City Dallas) to offer the opportunity for young cancer patients to enter a logo contest for the event. These young artists serve as the face of more than 327,000 people in the U.S. who suffer from blood cancer every day. Their artwork shines a bright light for all the heroes honored at the race.

Logo winners are awarded a certificate and are invited to attend the race as VIPs. Their logo is proudly displayed to represent the event and help spread the word throughout the community about the mission of the Honored Hero Run.

We are excited to announce the winner of the logo contest is six-year-old Jaden. 

Jaden, is a courageous six-year-old that fought CANCER like a warrior! Jaden was five weeks into his first grade year at a new school, when he was diagnosed with B Cell Lymphoma. His entire family was in total shock when they heard the news. This was a child that had never been sick or complained about anything bothering him. Before him there was no else in their immediate family that had cancer.

Jaden received five rounds of intense chemotherapy at Cooks Children in Fort Worth and each round required a 5-6 day stay in the hospital and included chemotherapy and spinal taps. He would be discharged home for about 2 ½ weeks and then return for the next round. During his hospital stay, he never once complained about receiving treatment. His words were, “just go through It!”

Daily, his grandmother stayed with him at home and the hospital, allowing his mom and dad to work and care for his infant baby sister. Jaden’s journey, his strength and faith, has brought us all closer together as a family.

On January 24, 2016 he received his last round of chemotherapy. On February 10, 2016 his PET scan showed that Jaden was cancer free. Now in remission, he is healthy and active in karate, soccer, and ecstatic about returning to school.

Registration is now open for the 2016 Honored Hero Run.  The event has a 5k, 10k, half marathon, 20 mile run and 1k fun run.

Training Tip Tuesday: Charity Miles

"Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity."

- John F. Kennedy

 

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is proud to announce a new partnership with Charity Miles.  This program, which will run through June 6, 2013, is a quick and easy way to raise money for LLS and its mission to find a cure for blood cancers and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. 

Here's how it works:  Download the free Charily Miles app for your iPhone or Android, register yourself, select LLS, turn it on whenever you are out walking, running or biking and Charity Miles will donate money to LLS for every mile you walk, run or bike.  Walkers and runners will rack up 25 cents for every mile and bikers will earn 10 cents a mile. 

Interested?  Please read the FAQ below for additional information and think of LLS the next time you lace up your tennis shoes!

What is Charity Miles?

Charity Miles is a free iPhone and Android app that enables people to earn money for charity while walking, running or biking.

How does it work?

Just launch the app, choose a charity and either walk, run or bike. The selected charity then earns money for every mile covered. Walkers and runners earn 25¢ per mile; bikers earn 10¢ per mile, all up to an initial $1,000,000.

Can I do anything other than walk, run or bike?

Absolutely! Skipping, skating, hoping, rolling and all other human-propelled activities are perfectly acceptable. The app does not feature a setting for every activity. You should just choose whatever setting (Walk, Run or Bike) that is most applicable to what you are doing.

What about driving?

No. Driving does not count. Nor do trains, airplanes or any other type of motorized vehicle.

Can the app detect cheating?

The app can usually detect "non-human" activities and will highlight them in the official reporting records.

Will the miles I record count towards my Team In Training fundraising?The miles and money Team In Training participants rack up while training for an event will not be applied to their individual fundraising goal.

How does the app know how far I’ve gone?

Charity Miles uses your phone’s GPS to measure your distance. So, please make sure to allow the app to use your phone’s geolocation services. The app will ask for that permission when you first login. If you do not grant the permission, then the app will not work for you. If you initially declined this permission but now want to enable your geolocation services for the app, you can do so by opening your phone’s settings and then clicking the "Location Services" tab.

Will the app work indoors?

No, the app does not have the capability to track your mileage indoors.

Where does the money come from?

Charity Miles, LLC is backing the initial $1,000,000 and issuing a worldwide challenge to see if people can earn it for the charities within a year.

When does the challenge end?

The challenge will end on June 6, 2013.

What types of mobile phones is Charity Miles available on?

Charity Miles is available on iPhone and Android devices. It works on all of the most popular Android devices. However, performance may vary for some Android devices, depending on the device’s specifications. Charity Miles is not, however, available on Blackberry devices.

Why do I have to login through Facebook?

Facebook is the most reliable way for Charity Miles to authenticate your identity for your charities.　 Other than that, the organization will never share your personally identifiable information with anyone or auto-post to your Facebook account.　

Where can I download Charity Miles?

Charity Miles is available to download for free in the iPhone and Android app stores.