October Miles: For Cookie
We’re both humbled and honored to begin our October blog post with some truly unbelievable news: we have SURPASSED our initial fundraising goal for Cookie’s Cause! We were hoping to meet our goal by Cookie’s birthday on October 30th, and everyone has gone above and beyond in helping us reach this milestone in our journey. Thanks to you, we’re that much closer to ensuring that not one more woman’s life is cut short from triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
We’re also excited to share an update on the research of Dr. Vahdat, who is continuing to focus on the effectiveness of the copper-depletion compound our mom received. Through philanthropic support, Dr. Vahdat will be building on her recent momentum with a Phase II clinical trial, with her aim being to reduce the risk of relapse and manage symptoms among even more women with TNBC. 100% of the funds we raise as part of Fred’s Team will go towards this research, having a direct impact on women just like Cookie.
Please check out Dr. Vahdat’s most recent research proposal HERE to learn more about how donors are helping her change the trajectory of TNBC treatment and management, and thank you again for your ongoing support.
For October, we dedicated all of our training miles–including Justine’s 26.2 NYC Virtual Marathon miles–to none other than our mom and those she loved.
When our mom died, so did a piece of us. We struggled to imagine our futures, and grappled with how our lives would change moving forward. Our mom was our everything, and when she passed, it felt like we had to rebuild everything we ever knew. But the truth is–we didn’t. We just had to become more ourselves.
One of my wishes is that those dark trees,
So old and firm they scarcely show the breeze,
Were not, as 'twere, the merest mask of gloom,
But stretched away unto the edge of doom.
I should not be withheld but that some day
Into their vastness I should steal away,
Fearless of ever finding open land,
Or highway where the slow wheel pours the sand.
I do not see why I should e'er turn back,
Or those should not set forth upon my track
To overtake me, who should miss me here
And long to know if still I held them dear.
They would not find me changed from him they knew—
Only more sure of all I thought was true.
-Robert Frost
One of our favorite traits of our mom was that she was unapologetically herself. She lived her life the way she wanted to, and it shows in the family and friends she surrounded herself with. The outpouring of love that we’ve received since our mom passed is a testament to the kind of person Cookie was: loving, selfless, resilient, and grounded in what really matters. Our family and friends have shown up time and time again this past year; even while you were experiencing your own loss, you continued to help us navigate ours.
Together, our will cannot be broken, because our mom’s presence is greater than it all. Greater than the pain and the heartbreak. Greater than the fear and the unknown. Greater than those moments when we long for just one last hug.
Our mom may not physically be with us, but she will always be in everything we do. We will always be our mother’s daughters, and we rediscover the magnitude of this gift every day. May we all strive to be a bit more like Cookie, while simultaneously becoming more unapologetically ourselves–because just as a function of knowing her, we all have a little of Cookie’s light inside of us.
