Dear Friends and Family –

During the last four months at Accenture, I commuted to Atlanta every week and, consequently, drove my car less than 500 miles. In the next four months, I plan to equal that distance… on foot!

This October, to celebrate my 25th birthday, I have decided to participate in an event that is sharing the same milestone – the Chicago Marathon. Over the course of my 18-week training program, I will run more than 450 miles in preparation for the 26.2 mile marathon on Sunday, October 13. As a member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program, I will be part of a team of runners and walkers with more in mind than simply completing a marathon. I am running to raise money for research and patient care for the men, women, and children afflicted with blood-related.

This year alone, an estimated 109,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. Currently, 640,000 American men, women, and children are living with the disease. Cancers of the bone marrow and blood will kill over 60,000 people in the United States this year. Every 9 minutes, a child or adult dies from the disease, making it the leading cause of death in children under age 15. Ten times as many adults as children are stricken with leukemia, and over half of all cases occur in persons over age 60.

In particular, I am running for Nancy Maybloom, my “Patient Hero.” Nancy is an amazing 55-year-old woman who was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia in June 2000. A wife and mother of two grown children, Nancy went into remission in July 2000 but relapsed in December 2001. In February 2002, she received a stem-cell transplant from her brother’s bone marrow at Rush Hospital. And just three weeks ago, Nancy received a clean bill of health on her four-month checkup, indicating that her leukemia has gone back into remission!

So far, Nancy has been one of the lucky ones. Through the efforts of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, she is not alone. Since 1960, the five-year survival rates have tripled from 14% to 44% for patients with leukemia, while survival rates for Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients have doubled to 83%. And 81% of all children with acute lymphocytic leukemia, the most common form of childhood leukemia, will survive.

But we still have a long way to go until we reach our goal: to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. With your help, we can improve the odds for leukemia patients by supporting research for the treatment and cure of leukemia.

Nancy and I have begun our journey already; the only thing we need to reach the finish line is your financial support. My goal is to raise $5,000 for leukemia research and patient aid. I know that you will be there in spirit as I cross the finish line of the Chicago Marathon!

Please join Nancy and me by clicking on the "Donate" link to the left. All donations are 100% tax-deductible. Check with your company to see if they will match your gift – it can double or even triple your contribution and help us get closer to a cure.

Thank you in advance for your generous support. If you have any questions regarding the Leukemia Society or the Team in Training program, please feel free to call me anytime at 773-643-6064 or e-mail me at cbayham2003@kellogg.northwestern.edu. I have also created a web site where you can monitor my training progress – and even my time when I complete the marathon on October 13! Go to http://cbayham.pledgepage.com to share in the journey.

Warmest Regards,
Chris