Run For Lee

Jon and Gabby are two of the most incredible humans we know, who have two beautiful baby girls. They have just received news that would shake any parents to their core, and now they embark on a journey that will take incredible strength, courage, and hope. Please read on to hear their story and show your support.

On 1 December 2022, Jon was finishing up at work when he saw a few missed texts and calls from Gabby who was 8 months pregnant at the time. She was going to the doctor because her blood pressure was high. While it turned out it wasn’t quite preeclampsia as feared, it was as close as it could be. For safety reasons, this prompted their new baby girl, Keeley Kai, to be born three weeks early. They came home from the hospital a few days later, and Lyanna (Lee) finally got to meet her baby sister.

Over the next day and a half, they noticed Lyanna was having symptoms of fatigue. What should have been a joyous time adjusting to life as a family of four quickly became any parent's worst nightmare.

On the 5th of December, they took Lee to the doctor. The doctor ordered bloodwork, and a few hours later, they received a call advising them to bring Lee to the ER. After a tense wait in a packed ER, they were admitted to the hospital, where they stayed for four nights, undergoing test after test.

At midnight on the 9th of December, Lee and her dad took an emergency, 2.5-hour ambulance ride to Chicago. Tests were continued at this time and a bone marrow biopsy showed something very troubling. Lee was found to have a tumor by her stomach and cancer that had spread throughout her skeleton. The term neuroblastoma was used for the first time.

They were admitted to a top Children's Hospital in Chicago, where they were given a 15-18 month roadmap for treatment. Our little fighter has a long road ahead. Phase 1 (chemo) has already started. Phase 2 will be the longest - stem cell retrieval. And Phase 3 will be immunotherapy.

Recently Lee and her family were lucky to be accepted to the Pediatric Cancer program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York. While the family will still call Illinois home, there will be frequent travel to and from NYC for Lee’s treatment.

Gabby is a full-time mom of 2, and Jon has had to make the difficult decision to take unpaid leave as the best option to fight this as a family.

Living hundreds of miles away, I decided the best way to show support for this family in need was to leverage the network I have here in Arizona and elsewhere to find those who can share Lee’s story. Our ambition is to draw attention to their family’s needs, provide love and support, and donate to allow them to focus on the most important and difficult thing they will likely ever face - Lee’s treatment and recovery.

With that in mind, I have been training for the 2023 Rock N’ Roll marathon in San Diego on June 4th, 2023. As a show of solidarity, I am putting myself through a physical challenge I have never before had to endure, to share in even a small piece of the struggle, determination, and perseverance that the Coulman family are having to muster on a daily basis.

My family and I will be matching the first $1,000 donated, and if we reach our initial goal of $10,000, I will be shaving my head clean! Top donor gets to do the first buzz with the clippers

Thank you all for the love, support, prayers, and shares.