Freakishly Strong: Brenda Donato

On May 15, 2006, I was reading a story posted on the front cover of the Contra Costa Times titled "Woman Embraces Life with Running Shoes On." It was an inspirational article that began like this:

Just before the horn sounded and sent 2,589 athletes on a chilly, mile-long swim, Brenda Donato couldn't believe that she was about to start her first triathlon. "I'm alive! I'm alive" she screamed, splashing her teammates as she jumped up and down at Lake San Antonio near Paso Robles. The Concord woman nearly hyperventilated with excitement, even as 25 miles of biking through rolling hills and a give-it-all-you have left, 6 mile run...

This newspaper article inspired me so much that five days later I met Brenda Donato in person and thus begin my my journey to train for endurance events and raise funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

On February 11, 2005 at age of 34 , Brenda was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. She spent 3 months in the hospital before receiving an autologous stem-cell transplant (with her own stem cells) on June 30, 2005 at UCSF Medical Center after three rounds of high dose chemotherapy. After leaving the hospital, she became very active with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Team in Training, completing the Nike Women's Half Marathon in October 2005, the Arizona Rock N Roll Marathon in January 2006 and Wildflower Olympic Distance Triathlon in May 2006. Still feeling healthy, she began training for the June 2006 Alaska Half Marathon.

On June 9, 2006, just days before she was to leave for her flight to Anchorage, Alaska, she found out her cancer returned and went back to UCSF for a fourth round of chemo. After using her own stem cells for a transplant in 2005, she would require a foreign donor's cells for another stem-cell transplant. Most fortunately, a 9 out of 10 match was found and Brenda had that transplant on September 20, 2006.

A few weeks later as I was running my first marathon and entered Golden Gate Park, I teared up, happy to see Brenda standing at the side holding her big yellow sign, "TNT: I AM ALIVE BECAUSE OF YOU!" She had escaped confinement and her body guard (Dad) had his sign to ensure that we didn't hug her.

While recovering, Brenda faced many physical and mental challenges. 110 days after her transplant, Brenda developed graft vs. host disease of the lungs. She bravely battled this new obstacle that reduced her lung capacity to 20% of normal. She passed away on April 14, 2007.

Brenda loved to update her My Space blog with the many details of her days. Just two days before she passed away, she posted this final message:

Through these years I have absolutely NO regrets. I worked hard and played even harder. I never said a swear word, always went to school on time, and won the PE award in high school. In fact, 3 days ago I just crawled up the stairs.

And now, I'm back in bed still hooked up, still using a commode, and wearing a purple t-shirt that says (in orange writing) "freakishly strong" while covered with a wonderful TNT blanket that was knitted for me just weeks ago.

Now I peacefully await and end the battle that has attacked my 36-year-old body surrounded by my most beautiful family and friends. Surreal, but true, this is really happening.

We all wait. Me, my family and friends that are here now, and all of you. Even though you're not here with me physically (it would simply be impossible for all of you to fit in this room), I want you to know I feel you and know you're here. I love all of you.

Thank you for loving and supporting me. Please continue to pour it out on my three boys.

In my previous blog, I mentionned that I was the awarded the IronTeam spirit cape. Brenda continues to inspire me to do my best. On the front of this cape, I ironed on this photo of "Freakishly Strong" Brenda taken on top of Inspiration Point in Berkeley. The Triple Crown represents what I will achieve with Team in Training when I complete Vineman on 8/1/09.