kai

We thank you both very much. We are so pleased that you chose to help us help others. It is estimated that one out of every two American men and one out of every three American women will eventually have cancer. Thank you so much for helping the Lance Armstrong Foundation give hope to all of us, and thank you for sharing your own personal story. I don't know that there is a single person that I know who hasn't loved someone who has had cancer, but I think that the more stories we all hear, the more the gravity of the situation sinks in.

When my mother was diagnosed with cancer (twice) while I was in elementary school, cancer was not something that people talked about openly. There was definately a dark cloud over the subject, and I think people were not comfortable discussing it because of the fear the subject invoked. I am very pleased to see that as the incidence of cancer increases, so does our willingness to discuss the subject openly and offer to support to each other when it is needed.

I am pleased to be able to count my mother as a survivor, and her strength is admirable. She has turned her experience into a way to help our friends, neighbors and other family members through their own treatment processes, and is able to give them support whenever it is needed.

For those of you not able or not comfortable donating to the LAF, and those of you who cannot join us in the "Ride for the Roses", I encourage you to share your stories if you are comfortable with it. The more awareness there is, the more we see how deeply cancer affects us all, and the more it underscores the importance of groups like the LAF.

Thanks again, Shannon & Justin, for your support & your story.