Team Anya's Fundraising Page

Two years ago I heard the terrifying and heartbreaking words “you’re daughter has cancer.”  It came as a complete surprise from symptoms of a slightly sore leg. We were suddenly thrown into a fight for our 7-year old’s life. She underwent 9 months of chemo,  had part of her lung removed, and had to have a unique leg amputation called rotationplasty where they removed her knee and reattached her shin to her thigh with her foot backwards. Anya was treated at the Jimmy Fund and has just celebrated 2-years of clear scans. 

This fundraiser is not a typical one for us. We walk for the children we have met that have survived and those that have not, for those that have relapsed and been dragged back into the fight and for those that have had to continuously fight. We walk for the kids who now live with the long term effects caused by the cancer treatments and the families that have been overwhelmed by the loss and grief that cancer leaves in its wake. We walk each year because we believe that this is where our fundraising efforts can make the most difference.

We desperately need more childhood cancer research in general and osteosarcoma research in particular. I was terrified to see how very little research has been done and just how little we actually know about osteosarcoma. Considering the prognosis for this disease especially in the event of metastasis and relapse, the connection between research and saving lives is clear. It is also abundantly clear that if people don't come together to raise money and advocate, things won't change. The funds from this walk will be allocated directly to Dr. Janeway’s research on osteosarcoma. She specializes in hard to treat metastatic osteosarcoma, is at the forefront of osteosarcoma research throughout the country and is Anya’s head oncologist.  God willing the cancer will stay away forever and Anya will not need to depend on this research but others do need it now and with a 30-50% chance of relapse,  we need to keep fighting.

Please consider joining team Anya and walking with us on Sunday October 6th or donate to help us raise money toward this deeply personal cause. For those walking, we’ll be doing the 10k portion that starts at Center and Comm Ave but you can still be part of the team and walk any distance or join us remotely. 

Thank you!

Jeni Rhodes