Personal Profiles
September 25, 2007
Achieving cures step by step
More than 7,700 participants took part in the 2007 Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk.
Sasha Barajas hadn't been at Dana-Farber long when she noticed the mural prominently displayed in co-worker Hazel Reynolds' office, which commemorated her Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk team.
"It piqued my interest," recalls Barajas. "She had nothing but good things to say about the Walk, so I decided to sign up the next year."
Fast-forward four years. Barajas, a human research coordinator in the Office for the Protection of Research Subjects, is still proudly walking. Now, she is a captain of the Hemoglobin Trotters, who made their third 13.1-mile half-course trek on Sept. 16. A 16-person crew, the Trotters included nine of Barajas' co-workers in OPRS, and a total of 14 first-timers in the 19th annual event, which is expected to raise a record $6.3 million for Dana-Farber.
"When people see how excited I am about the Walk, they are usually quite receptive to joining or making a contribution. My co-captain even drove down from Maine to accompany us," says Barajas, one of about 200 Dana-Farber staffers who walked, and another 34 who volunteered this year.
"We had a fabulous showing from Dana-Farber," notes Jimmy Fund Director Suzanne Fountain. "It was so wonderful for patients to see staff members out there."
Clear skies prevailed throughout the day, with more than 7,700 participants traveling from as far as Hawaii to tackle all or part of the historic 26.2-mile course. Presented by Hyundai Motor America, the 2007 event added a new twist with a 5-mile Boston College route. People could also walk virtually for the first time. The reason growing numbers fly from across the country for the day is because it is a particularly moving experience.
"The atmosphere is not only inspiring, but emotional. You see a lot of teams with T-shirts and signs depicting friends or family members for whom they are walking to support or remember, and it's very touching," says Barajas, whose team walked in honor of a 6-year-old Jimmy Fund Hero. The "Heroes" are children from the Jimmy Fund Clinic whose faces adorn posters at mile markers along the route. "Just when you think you can't take another step, you come up to one of those mile markers and it helps you push forward."
Kimberly Williams, a fellow human research coordinator in OPRS and Hemoglobin Trotter, has another reason for walking. She handles protocol requests in her job at Dana-Farber. These often contain information about patient medical procedures, but don't focus on the humanizing aspects – the individuals and their families. "I participated for all the people I have never met, but think about every day," she says. "I walked so that maybe someday the children I read about on these forms can survive and walk themselves."
Teddy's Bears celebrate 10 years
Four-year-old Shannon was one of the Walk Heroes, a Jimmy Fund Clinic patient whose picture appeared on a mile marker along the route.
The throngs of people who participated this year, as well as the more than 600 volunteers, are well on their way to reaching their fundraising goal. Many are personally affected by cancer as survivors, family members, and friends.
One such team was Teddy's Bears, led by 20-year-old captain Katie Jerdee. The Jerdee family – Katie's parents, sister, and brother – walked in celebration of 13-year-old Teddy's 10th year of being cancer-free.
"We created Teddy's Bears when my brother was diagnosed with leukemia just before Christmas in 1996. He was 2 years old," said Jerdee, a third-year student at Northeastern University. "We spent a lot of time at Children's Hospital [Boston] and even more in the Jimmy Fund Clinic. Then, two years ago, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. It hit me how big the Jimmy Fund is, and how much of an impact it has had on my life."
Teddy's Bears took part in two Walks before taking an eight-year hiatus. When cancer struck the family a second time, they recalled the importance of the Jimmy Fund. Jerdee is glad she resurrected her team and feels confident they will walk again in the future.
"At one point, I thought we couldn't possibly have any worse luck, but then I realized how lucky we actually are. My brother and mom are still with us," said Jerdee. "I'll never be able to give back to the Jimmy Fund what it has given to my family, but at the very least, I can walk."
