Hello! I am thrilled to be participating in another SENDtember with my most ambitious goal yet! Throughout the month, I have committed to climbing one vertical mile to commemorate 10 years since my cancer diagnosis. On September 1st 2015, my life changed forever. I was told that I had Stage III Primary Mediastinal B-Cell Lymphoma, something unimagineable to a 21 year old whose biggest worry was whether or not she'd be able to balance her college radio show with her senior thesis when she returned to school later that month. My world was turned upside down and I had no idea what the future would hold. Almost 5 months later, my life was changed once again as I went on a ski trip with Send It Foundation. Going on this trip was a turning point in helping me to realize that cancer didn't mean my life was ending. Through all the uncertainy, I knew I had a community to turn to. Send It also showed me that my body was capable of incredible things. Now, nearly a decade after that first trip, I'm embracing this year's theme of "Send It Forward" by pairing my love of community by joining the "A-SEND-ers" fundraising team with my most physically demanding goal ever. 

This year alone, over 90,000 young adults in the US will hear those dreaded "C" words in their twenties or thirties. When I was going through treatment, I felt totally isolated from my communities and stripped of all my identities. My soon-to-be-former classmates were working on their senior theses and pondering their post-college careers while I was fighting a life-threatening disease. Young adult cancer patients face many challenges that have long been overlooked by medical institutions and the general public, including fertility concerns, career planning, finances, and the need for age-appropriate support. It's tough, and we often feel like we're on our own. It has been incredible to see the expansion of nationwide young adult cancer patient resources in the time since I was diagnosed and I believe that organizations like Send It have been critical in this growth.

"Send It" is an expression that inspires positivity, enthusiasm, pushing boundaries and living life to the fullest. Born from the adventure sports community, "Send It" is what we say to encourage each other to go big and give it your all. Through outdoor activities like mountain biking, skiing, surfing, climbing, and backpacking, the Send It Foundation creates a space for young adults to challenge themselves in the outdoors, connect with peers, and find much needed community and support. I consider myself very lucky to have discovered Send It in its infancy, back when there was no waiting list and I could sign up for a trip and be accepted immediately. Today, there are over 700 young adult cancer patients and survivors on Send It's waiting list and that number continues to grow. With your support, we can ensure that this organization continues to grow and enrich the lives of many more young adults in the years to come.