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On April 25, 2013, my grandmother, Vonnie Troftgruben, lost her battle with a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer (glioblastoma). My grandma and I had always been close. Whether it was the family feast for Thanksgiving or just a weekend visiting in Eugene, I cherished every moment I spent with her.
My most special memory of my grandmother came in the summer of 2012, when she and my grandfather organized a family heritage tour through Norway. It was her lifelong dream to take her kids and grandkids there so we could meet relatives and immerse ourselves in our Norwegian heritage. It was the trip of a lifetime, and I had never seen my grandmother happier.
Grandma used to say, "Only boring people get bored." Her words of wisdom are the inspiration for this website and my journey on the Pacific Crest Trail. In hiking the trail, I will push myself to my breaking point both physically and mentally, and my grandma will be with me in spirit to keep me going. I invite you to experience the 2,650-mile trek from Canada to Mexico along with me through this blog. With each step I take, I will do so in pursuit of getting one step closer in the fight against the deadly cancer that took my grandmother's life just shy of her 70th birthday.
It just so happens that my Aunt Christine is a leading brain cancer researcher at City of Hope, a non-profit cancer research hospital in southern California. By coincidence, she specializes in the very disease that took my grandmother's life. Current research provides much reason for hope. In memory of my grandmother and in support of the important work my aunt is doing to help brain tumor patients, I have chosen City of Hope as the beneficiary of all profits that I raise through my GoFundMe account for this PCT journey (click picture below).
Here is a link to City of Hope's cancer research programs overview page.
The way that the money will be split up is quite simple: initially, 50% of the money will go to City of Hope and 50% will go to paying off expenses for the trail. Once the trail is paid off, 100% of the money will go directly to City of Hope and their revolutionary research.
Keep updated on my blog.
My most special memory of my grandmother came in the summer of 2012, when she and my grandfather organized a family heritage tour through Norway. It was her lifelong dream to take her kids and grandkids there so we could meet relatives and immerse ourselves in our Norwegian heritage. It was the trip of a lifetime, and I had never seen my grandmother happier.
Grandma used to say, "Only boring people get bored." Her words of wisdom are the inspiration for this website and my journey on the Pacific Crest Trail. In hiking the trail, I will push myself to my breaking point both physically and mentally, and my grandma will be with me in spirit to keep me going. I invite you to experience the 2,650-mile trek from Canada to Mexico along with me through this blog. With each step I take, I will do so in pursuit of getting one step closer in the fight against the deadly cancer that took my grandmother's life just shy of her 70th birthday.
It just so happens that my Aunt Christine is a leading brain cancer researcher at City of Hope, a non-profit cancer research hospital in southern California. By coincidence, she specializes in the very disease that took my grandmother's life. Current research provides much reason for hope. In memory of my grandmother and in support of the important work my aunt is doing to help brain tumor patients, I have chosen City of Hope as the beneficiary of all profits that I raise through my GoFundMe account for this PCT journey (click picture below).
Here is a link to City of Hope's cancer research programs overview page.
The way that the money will be split up is quite simple: initially, 50% of the money will go to City of Hope and 50% will go to paying off expenses for the trail. Once the trail is paid off, 100% of the money will go directly to City of Hope and their revolutionary research.
Keep updated on my blog.