1000 Sun Salutations

Event: TeamFD

In 2008, at the age of 23, I was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia or CML, a cancer of the blood which is exceptionally rare in my age group. Less than two years later, in August 2010, I received a life-saving Bone Marrow Transplant from an unrelated, and at the moment anonymous, donor.

In the days and weeks after diagnosis and again after transplant, I fell into a depression. I feared that this diagnosis may mean the end of my life and, if it did not kill me, that I would never again lead the active lifestyle I had enjoyed prior to diagnosis.This fear, instead of paralyzing me, motivated me to dive deeper into my practice of yoga so that I may take back my body and strengthen it in preparation of the harsh treatments I knew I would soon endure. The very real fear of losing everything I had worked for inspired a need in me to hang on more desperately.
While recovering from my transplant this past year, I read about  First Descents.

I wasn't convinced at first that this experience was for me, I partially completed an application and left it at that. A few weeks later, after reading testimonials from former and even repeat participants, I decided that this was exactly the challenge I needed, a step that I could take to seize this new life I've been blessed with. In May of this year I attended my first First Descents rock climbing camp in Estes Park, CO. The experience of learning to overcome great fear and self doubt at FD was unlike anything I could have dreamed and unlike anything I could have achieved on my own.  When I reached the top of our "graduation rock" after four days of climbing, bloody and tired, I looked around at my fellow campers and team members, all survivors and FIGHTERS, and felt a spark ignite in me which I thought had been long gone. I feel truly alive again after two years of living much too close to death. First Descents fulfilled their mission in me, and so much more. I am so changed and motivated by the magic of First Descents that I deeply desire the opportunity give this experience to another young adult survivor. The chance for me to live came from the generosity of a marrow donor, the financial support to live through recovery came from generous donations from friends and family and the opportunity for me to begin LIVING this new life again also came from a donor. A donor to First Descents.

Will you consider helping me provide this new chance at living for another young adult survivor?

To begin to pay forward the gift that my donors have given me, I have taken the Team FD challenge to raise the funds for another survivor to attend a camp this summer, a goal of raising at least $1,000. Because yoga has played such an important part in my healing, it seems appropriate for me to design a yoga challenge for Team FD, the first one of its kind. I will be performing one Sun Salutation (what is that? check this link for information: http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/928) for every dollar donated to my Team FD Challenge with a goal of at least 1,000 in total by the end of the summer.

Team Members

	Laura "Cookie" Esposto	Total Raised
		$1,100.00
		20 donors
		$1,000.00 goal

	Julie Manfredi	Total Raised
		$150.00
		1 donors
		$150.00 goal

	Catherine Taormina	Total Raised
		$0.00
		0 donors
		$250.00 goal

	Kim Stiner-Zercoe	Total Raised
		$1,970.00
		26 donors
		$2,500.00 goal

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