Genentech Fights Cancer One Step at a Time - This Time It's Personal!

For the second year in a row, we had the opportunity to photograph the 26.2 With Donna Marathon for our friends at Genentech. And while we have always appreciated the need for cancer treatment innovations, this year the cause became very personal to us.

In December, Bryn was diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer, as is often the case with women who develop the disease at a young age. Thankfully, the cancer was discovered early, and we have had so many people from our church, our neighborhood and our family come alongside us. But as is the hard reality, over the past several months Bryn has gone through a double mastectomy, and has just recently begun chemo and Herceptin treatment. And this is where it gets interesting – Genentech is the company that pioneered the Herceptin drug which is designed specifically for the type of cancer Bryn has. What an amazing twist of providence!

But enough about us! Our weekend with the folks of Genentech, who by the way selflessly volunteer their time and efforts to participate in this race each year, was really quite wonderful. From the panel discussion featuring some very talented ladies, to the expo, poster making and pre-race banquet, the Saturday before the race had something for everyone from 5 to 100! The race itself started off quite cold, with temperatures hovering around freezing, but the day gradually warmed up and the conditions were near perfect for the 10,000+ runners.