Family and Friends,
This past Spring a close friend of mine, Megan Strasser, was diagnosed with Angiosarcoma – an extremely rare, aggressive and life-threatening form of cancer that makes up only 0.04% of breast cancers. Since the diagnosis in March, Meg has undergone 6 cycles of chemotherapy and 25 rounds of radiation (all while planning a wedding and getting married in June). Last month, Megan received amazing news that the tumor has shrunk significantly in size, with her oncologist saying this is one of the best responses he has ever seen – but her journey is far from over.
A little bit about “The Woman, The Myth, The Legend, The Meg.”
I can still remember the day I met Meg. It was August of 2009, freshman move-in weekend at Miami University and my parents had just pulled out of the parking lot after unpacking me into my dorm room. Standing there in McBride Hall, among a sea of thousands of nervously excited new kids on campus, I remember thinking to myself, “soooo…now what…..”
It was just then that a 6’1, long blonde-haired girl walked past as she was on her way to her dorm room on the floor below mine. We both smiled, waved and gave the overly enthusiastic, high-pitch, I-don’t-know-you-at-all-but-
What started as a brief drive-by hello as mere 18 year-olds, quickly turned into now over 13+ years of friendship. As fate would have it, Meg and I would join the same sorority and spend the next 4 years at Miami University living under the same roof together. While I could share several stories about college Megan, I will save those for a different day and say this. Meg is one of the most kind-hearted, determined, loyal humans I have ever met. Her laugh is infectious, her wit unmatched and her strength is something I will forever look up to.
Megan’s diagnosis came as a complete shock. She is 31 years young, in insanely good health, does not have any prior cancer history in her family and yet, received some of the worst news you could possibly hear.
When Megan broke the news to us, I felt helpless as to what I could do for her in a situation that not many people at our age have gone through, nor one that anyone can really prepare you for. Prayers, cheer-up texts and care packages could only go so far, but I would never be able to relate or truly understand her fear, anxiety, pain, chemo treatments and everything in between. So I put myself in her shoes and tried to think of what support I would want if I were going through this. I thought of how I would want to talk to someone who knew exactly what I was going through.
Unfortunately, my sister's college roommate, Melissa, had a similar diagnosis just two years prior. I quickly connected Megan and Melissa in hopes it would provide an outlet to talk with someone who has not only gone through what she is currently facing, but a sense of peace knowing that Melissa is now cancer-free and on the other side of her journey after her own long-fought battle.
In hearing how impactful this connection and outlet was, I wanted to figure out how I could potentially help connect others affected by cancer and provide them with this same opportunity. I found an organization called Red Door Community (previously Gilda’s Club) who does just this – provides a place where no one faces cancer alone. From support groups, to medical resources, to community engagement, Red Door has now become one of the nation’s largest cancer support networks. They, also, just so happen to be a sponsor of the NYC marathon and I am one of the lucky few who were able to recently get off their waitlist…
SO with that said, this November 6th, (yes less than two weeks away….) I will be officially running the NYC Marathon on behalf of Red Door with Megan, Melissa and so many others impacted by cancer as my inspiration. My goal is to raise $3,000 where 100% of the proceeds go to Red Door. I have 5 days to hit my goal, so it’s go time people!! Please click here to donate.
Thank you so much in advance for any amount of generosity. Your support truly means more than you know, and I am forever grateful to have each of you in my life. Pray for me as I attempt the marathon yet again, but more importantly, please keep Megan in your thoughts and prayers as she undergoes a mastectomy tomorrow morning to continue her journey in becoming cancer free. Her battle is far from over, but her strength is unwavering, and we know she will beat this.
Meg Strass, you are a hero, an inspiration and one of my favorite humans that I am honored to call a close friend. Keep fighting the good fight, you have an army behind you cheering you on. These 26.2 go out to you!!!!
Love you all,
EK
