Strength, Courage and Cancer
By
Rachel Cassano
Dana Shedd is a 13 year-old athlete. She’s just like any other athlete a
strength coach may train, except she has cancer.
Five years ago, Dana was diagnosed with a form of leukemia that only ONE in
ONE MILLION children will get. Dana knows that her leukemia can’t be cured with
medicine, but she isn’t afraid – she’s determined and battles on.
She is a young woman of many accomplishments. She’s currently on the Indiana
Olympic Development Program (ODP) team for her age. She was fortunate to be
picked as the 2008 Shining Star Award recipient for the Indiana ODP
program. This is part of her acceptance speech for the award:
“I am a girl who loves to play soccer, and who just happens to have
cancer. I play soccer for Westfield Nitro.
I had a test while I was playing in a soccer tournament. A soccer game,
then tests. Another soccer game, then another test. Our family sat down and
talked about what I had. They told me I had leukemia and discussed what that
meant. Not one of the more fun nights at our house. I learned that I could die.
Some days I am tired or may feel a little sick, but I am better off than
many other kids with cancer, who cannot play soccer. Being out on the field
giving it my all is a great feeling. I know there are things in my body that are
trying to do bad things to me. But, that is not going to stop me from stepping
on a soccer field.
I don’t know what is going to happen next year, but for now I will give it
my all any time I am on a soccer field, and have fun doing it. There is no
reason to give anything but your best.”
According to Dana’s dad Kurt, the road has been an interesting one, but
nobody in his family has ever wanted people to be sorry for them.
“From the time Dana was diagnosed, we have moved forward,” says Kurt.
“Although the cancer can’t be cured with medicine, she does take medication that
keeps the cancer cells lower in her body. She has good and bad days, but she is
a pretty determined person.”
Dana has been offered a Make-A-Wish grant, which she hasn’t taken yet. Her
family said that she talks about it from time to time, and looks forward to one
day fulfilling and following through with her wish. One wish would be a big deal
for any person or 13 year-old, and such things can’t be decided in a day.
Please help Dana and other kids like her by purchasing the
2009 Training
Insanity e-book. It’s only $10 (larger donations are also accepted) and
proceeds go to Make-A-Wish Foundation. Last year we raised $8,000…this year we
need to reach a new PR. We help you break PRs – please help us reach one. It
comes with great training tips and crazy, stupid workouts many of our lifters
put themselves through.
“Thank you for your determination in assisting others,” Kurt said of those
purchasing the EFS 2009 Training Insanity e-book. “We are just one
family, and there are countless others out there with much worse circumstances,
who are enriched beyond thought with a Make-A-Wish opportunity.”
To learn more about Dana, please read the following written by her older
sister, Amy, who is a freshman in high school.
Big Things Come In Small Packages
Standing at four feet, eleven and a half inches, her
appearance does not radiate the stereotypical image of a hero. What matters is
not Dana Shedd’s appearance; it is her determination, bravery, courage, and
discipline. Our small, but mighty hero was not the typical second grader, and
even now she is not the typical seventh grader. In her second grade year at
Shamrock Springs Elementary School, she was diagnosed with a blood cancer called
“Chronic Mylogenous Leukemia.” This disease is classified as terminal, but a
resistance drug called “Gleevec” was just being released; this does not rid the
body of cancerous cells, it simply slows the multiplication. So, she started
taking four Gleevec pills each night with dinner. As well as the Gleevec, she
takes a small capsule in the morning called “Prevacid,” this is not from the CML,
but is deemed necessary because she has a stomach condition as well. Showing
extreme discipline, she takes a total of 5 pills everyday at the correct time
they are required. Still, she remains strong and takes care of herself even
though she knows that she has to keep fighting, as she says: “with everything
I’ve gone through, it’d be a shame to give up now.”
Not only does Dana take care of herself, but she also cares
about others. She helped with a program called “Pennies for Patients,” a
fundraiser at schools that try to get the students to bring in and donate money
for patients with Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma. During 2006, 2007, and 2008,
she talked at eight to ten schools each year about her life and conditions. She
talked in front of auditoriums filled to the brim with people, listening to her
talk about her roller coaster of ups and downs ever since the diagnostic. This
helped not only her, but it also helped everyone else suffering from a blood
cancer by causing awareness for this tragedy and raising money for the cause.
Dana also assisted with another Leukemia & Lymphoma Society fundraiser called
“Team in Training,” where you train for events and run in them to raise money
for blood cancers. For this event, she talked to over ten schools and
organizations about the program and her illness, informing even more people
about Leukemia and helping them take action to find a cure. Dana cares about
others as well as herself, but she does have to take care of herself as well.
To take care of herself, Dana ventures to Portland, Oregon
with her father once a year to visit the creator of “Gleevec,” her medicine. The
outstanding man that was the head of this development is Dr. Druker, who
specializes in childhood Leukemia; therefore, Dana is a favorite of his. She
goes there and talks to him, asks questions, and makes sure everything is going
splendidly. She usually misses a few days of school, but she doesn’t mind
because “the mini T.V.’s in the seats on the plane ride over there are awesome!”
Dana also gets to have a little fun when she’s on the opposite side of the
country by sight seeing and stopping at a humongous arcade. It is amazing that
she is willing to miss school, have the patience for an eight hour plane
journey, and still be brave enough to talk about ailment openly to a
professional.
On the other hand, Dana participates in things like any other
aspiring teenager. She absolutely loves the game of soccer; in fact, she watches
the game on T.V. whenever she gets the chance. Her motivation gets an extra
boost because she knows that she may not be able to play her beloved game ever
again one day. Also, she loves soccer because no one out there can tell that she
is “different” from everyone else. On the soccer field, it’s like she has a
clean slate and everyone watching can judge her on her performance, instead of
giving her sympathy. Soccer is a huge part of who Dana is, and it has helped her
overcome many obstacles. In fact, our hero’s hero is Mia Hamm, one of the most,
if not most, famous female soccer player of all time. A few years ago, Dana
wrote to Mia Hamm and she wrote back to her encouraging her to stay strong and
motivated, and Dana did just that. Dana has surpassed expectations in soccer and
is going to Germany over Spring Break with the Olympic Development Program to
perform. She does not let her Leukemia stop her from doing what she loves, that
is profound dedication and determination.
Dana is a hero, much like Odysseus from The Odyssey by Homer.
They both partake in journeys; Dana goes to Oregon, while Odysseus ventures to
Ithaca. Dana shows that she is motivated to stay alive by taking her medication
when prescribed and in soccer, while Odysseus shows his motivation by never
giving up when trying to reunite himself with his son, Telemakhos, and wife,
Penelope. While Odysseus is tall, old, strong, and a fighter, and Dana is
vertically challenged, young, inexperienced, and a middle school student; their
looks do not matter, it is their heroic qualities that are identical. Both of
them are heroes in their own ways, but provide the same character traits that
help them get through their toughest times in life.
Heroes can come in all shapes and sizes, genders and colors,
and from anywhere or anyone. Dana does not appear to be a hero, but looks can be
deceiving. Dana is courageous, because she has been through so much; determined,
she never takes her mind off of her goal; and brave, managing to not give up
when things looked unfortunate. Even though she is young and still has to go
through life learning some more lessons, you can still learn from her existence
so far; and, she still has so much more coming her way. If we were all this
incredible when we were younger, just imagine what our potential would be like
now. All we can do is take some advice from Dana and try to achieve our
paramount, “if you keep fighting as hard as you can, one day you’ll be
successful.”
Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength
training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products
and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the
industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories, visit
us at www.EliteFTS.com.
Click here to help make more wishes come true.
