I just want to take a moment to thank Marshawn Lynch for his work in Seattle and for what he did for me personally. He has no idea that he helped me. I never told him. In fact, only a few people know this story.
Now that he’s retired, I’ll pass it along.
For many of you, the Beast Quake run represented the best of Marshawn. It meant even more to me…
While Marshawn was running rampant, I was on the eighth floor of UW Medical Center. I was suffering through kidney cancer treatment. I had gone Stage Four. The cancer that was confined to my kidney had raced its way to my lungs. My doctor, John Thompson at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance put me on a two week treatment of Interleukin 2. I didn’t know he was sending me to hell.
It’s a drug that has horrible side effects. Let’s put it this way, they put you in intensive care when it’s adminstered. Your blood pressure drops while your heart races. You get the chills so violently you shake the entire bed. You gain water weight at such a clip you can damn near see your face swell if you were looking into a mirror. Sleeping, yeah, right. Every eight hours, the process repeats itself. You want to quit. Cancer is kicking your ass. The drug feels even worse. Your life may depend on receiving the drug. Knowing all of that, there’s an even chance you’d run away from the hospital and the drug if given the chance.
While in the fog of that war, someone told me the Seahawks had a playoff game. It meant nothing at that moment. I was in and out for the start of the game. I didn’t care. Actually, I couldn’t care.
That was until I caught a break. I always felt my best, relatively so, at the end my eight hour drug cycle. Thankfully that moment hit right before the Beast Quake run. As Marshawn was bursting through the line and blowing up defenders, it served as the inspiration I needed at the perfect time.
What number 24 did to the Saints, was what exactly how I wanted to conquer cancer. I wanted to beat it down, humiliate it and do it with a smile. I was inspired and ready to keep fighting.
It’s been five years since that day. I’m still here following your lead. Being patient when I have to be, and busting through life when it’s required. My problem is I can’t keep my mouth shut like you. I’m working on that.
Marshawn, thanks for not only what you do, but how you do it. Your run changed the fortunes of a team, a city and my life.
