Birthday to Re-Birthday

Cross the Mountains

https://medium.com/@thepratts/cross-the-mountains-855ec8a07e91

I’ve taken a stand against blood cancer.

Hello, I’m Lee.   I’m married to a wonderful lady with two amazing young adult daughters.   I’m a runner, who though partial to trail running, enjoys the rhythms of the kilometres on whatever surface presents itself.   However, there came a time when this just wasn’t possible.  Instead, I found myself clinging to an IV as I roamed the corridors of Ward 8E (the blood cancer ward), getting what exercise I could.      

  Two years ago on my birthday, I remember feeling crook and being unable to shake what first felt like a bad sinus cold.  By that time, I had been sick for around 4-5 weeks.     However, new symptoms had begun to appear; Painful sores on my body and ulcers in my mouth, persistent and not healing.    Even smalls cuts wouldn’t heal, something had to be wrong.  5 days later, I was told to head straight to emergency by my GP who had just received my blood results.    This is how my journey with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) began.     

It has since been a harrowing journey and there were many points where I wondered whether I would make it while in hospital.    You see, my first Chemo treatment, the one they said was usually quite effective (65-70% respond positively) didn’t work and my type of Leukaemia is quite fast acting, so they needed to begin a different treatment straight away.   I wondered then if it would work, would I beat this thing?  So, in the face of worry, I forced myself to get up, despite the pain, and walk whenever I could.   Perhaps in the walking, my body would have strength for another day and maybe that day would be the breakthrough.  In the hallways tethered to my perpetual companion the IV (aka IVAN), I dodged nurses, cleaners, doctors, and other patients keeping hope alive one step at a time…     

My journey took a turn towards hope when my next treatment which was less certain to work was successful and pushed me into remission!  Two months later I found myself able to have a couple weeks at home and even more amazingly found out that one of my brothers was a close match for a bone marrow transplant!   Oh, to be at home, to not have to gaze at the outside through venetian blinds longing for a trail or even just some fresh air and sunshine on my skin.   My recovery began on the trails I used to run, albeit with “nano”-steps.

I now find myself on my birthday 19 months post-bone marrow transplant with my latest biopsy still showing “No Cancer”.    My nano steps have become running strides again and have taken me many kilometres with two personal half marathons in the mix.   I’m thankful for every day I have, each a priceless gift!   One that is possible because of the doctors, nurses, service staff, blood donors, and many others who treated me, but also those who support, who you don’t get to meet.   Researchers and scientists who look for further cures and treatments and those who support families when they find themselves where I was.  

They consider my form of Leukaemia “cured” after 2 years being cancer free following a successful bone marrow transplant.    The day this occurred 17^th  January 2024, I call my “Re-Birthday”.    I think of those fighting their battles with this horrible disease and the families whose lives are so deeply affected too.    So, on this Birthday I am setting myself a personal challenge to support the work of the Leukaemia Foundation while I continue to recover through running.    Over the next 5 months between my Birthday and Re-Birthday in January 2026, I will be increasing my distance with the ultimate goal of running my first ever Marathon.   I would like you to join me on this journey and consider supporting the Leukaemia Foundation as you follow me while I battle the miles, recover further, and beat blood cancer one “nano” or otherwise step at a time.    

 Today, more than 53 Australians will be told that they have blood cancer and tomorrow - another 53 families will be devastated by the same news.

I have created this page to raise vital funds to help provide the special care that is needed to get families through a blood cancer diagnosis as well as to help fund more game-changing research into this disease. 

The money I raise will help provide care for those in need right now — and it will back the brightest researchers to continue uncovering faster diagnoses and better treatments to save lives. 

Please show me your support by donating to my fundraising campaign.