Welcome to Honoring Heather's fundraising site!  My late sister, Heather Young-Johnson, was a young adult with cancer.  Sadly, she died of breast cancer on November 24, 2009 at the age of 33.  Heather was first diagnosed with stage 3A breast cancer two days after her 25th birthday in May 2001.  At the time, she had two young children and she committed to fighting the disease not only for her children, but also for herself. As part of her treatment, Heather had a single mastectomy; lymph nodes removed and began chemotherapy.  During treatment, she made up her mind to achieve her dream of becoming a nurse, so she enrolled in a nursing program.  I'll never forget Heather's drive and determination to fight the disease.  She actually made living with cancer look easy, so I don't think I ever realized what it could mean in the long run.

While fighting cancer, caring for children and going to school, she became pregnant with twins.  As a result, she made the decision to postpone radiation until the birth of her children.  Now, my beloved sister had four children, radiation and school to manage. Ultimately, she would go on to graduate with honors from her nursing program, pass the RN exam on the first try and begin her career.  Heather was declared cancer-free and lived in remission for five years before being plagued with intense headaches.  By the late summer of 2007, we learned that the cancer had metastasized to her brain and left lung. She was 31 years old with terminal cancer.

The 2007 diagnosis would lead us to the end of Heather's journey.  She was blessed with an amazing oncologist who shared her "never quit" mentality, so she tried new medications that helped sustain her life for an additional two years.  She made every minute count and created so many memories with her children.  She was truly a Super Mom!  Again, she never complained and made it look easy.  In fact, I'm not sure that we ever realized how sick she was until late July of 2009.  When Heather died, she was a 33 year old mother of four young children ranging in age from 7-11.  Her oldest son turned 10 just two days before she died and her only daughter would turn 12 six days later.

I've reflected a lot over our many talks and will never forget her response when I tried to encourage her to join local cancer support groups, "I'm not joining any of those groups because they aren't for young people like me.  I want to learn how to live with cancer, not how to die or to feel sorry for myself. I don't want to be in a group with a bunch of older people who don't have the same struggles as me."  Those words would never leave me.  I couldn't imagine being as young as she was fighting such a horrific disease and not feeling like there was anywhere that she could go and relate to other patients.

Team Fight is the organization that best represents Heather's spirit and what she would have wanted for herself, which is why I chose her birthday (May 8th) as the day to commit to being a team member. My sister was the true definition of a super hero, so I would like to raise as much money as I can to support an organization that helps young adults live with and fight cancer.  This will be my first triathlon/first fundraiser and I couldn't think of a better way to honor Heather.

Her loving big sis,

Tasya

The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults changes lives by creating a community of support for young adults, and their loved ones, as they fight cancer and embrace survivorship. 

With your support, The Ulman Cancer Fund is able to provide multiple support services and resources for the young adult cancer community, including: 

• Cancer to 5K - A free, progressive, 12-week run/walk program designed to reintroduce cancer survivors to physical activity.

• Helping Others Fight - A volunteer program that provides basic services – such as transportation to and from treatment, yard work, home repairs, delivery of chemo care bags – to local cancer patients and their families so they can focus their energy on their battle with cancer and their well-being.

• Patient Navigation - A free program - onsite at cancer centers and remote - that ensures no young adult ever faces cancer alone.  We provide one-on-one personal support and resources to young adults and their families to help them manage the cancer experience and long-term cancer survival. 

• Scholarships - A financial assistance program to help young adults continue their education after being affected by cancer through their own diagnosis or the diagnosis of a loved one.


Thank you for making these programs and our mission possible.