Devin Johnson is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College. In the summer of 2017 she will be traveling with a group of college-aged students on a 49 day, 4000+ mile run from San Francisco, CA to Baltimore, MD to raise funds and awareness for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. 

What is your connection to the cancer community?

My Boss, my mentor, and my friend. April 21, 2016 Dr. Kim Hammond was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. It was a hard and trying time for his family, who spent their days in and out of Hopkins. In Late June, Dr. Hammond underwent a Bone Marrow Transplant and continues each day to get stronger and stronger. My job over time transitioned from his 9 year old’s nanny to his Personal Assistant. His optimism and passion for life continuously amazes me. He has never shown signs of defeat and is constantly pushing me out of my own comfort zone to make me into the best version of myself. I am without a doubt running on his behalf.

Outside of my relationship with Dr. Hammond, I am running this for both of my Grandparents who lost their parents to lung cancer. I am running this for my family friend Rodney Brooks who is currently battling liver cancer. I am running this for my Aunt Peggy who battled colon cancer. I am running this for my Mom’s best friend Kate Flowers, who is a breast cancer survivor. I am running this for young Ava Daniels, whose fight against brain cancer is ongoing. I am running this for my little sisters friend Sky who is a Non hodgkin's B cell lymphoma survivor. I am running this for my best friend’s Step Dad, Tim Cahill, who won his battle against cancer of the tongue. I am running this with my St. Jude’s team that I ran the New York Marathon with in my heart. I am running this for the fighters, the survivors, and all of the people that have been taken out of this world too soon. Life is worth living and I am not going to stop living mine until I have helped as many people as possible.

Why are you traveling over 4000 miles this summer with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults?

This is the opportunity of a lifetime. Because time is so precious I have made it my life goal to continue to spend my time helping those in need and giving it my absolute all. There is no person in this world who has not been impacted by the wrath of cancer. As runner with the 4k, I will be surrounded by an amazing team of individuals who all have the same agenda—to live selflessly in a world that has taught us to be selfish, to be patient when times get tough, and to be kind to others when we aren’t being kind to ourselves. Getting a space on a 4K team means the world to me. Running has helped me through difficult times in my life. It has given me a safe space to be myself, raw and unaltered. It has shown me what the human body is capable of. Running has been my key to happiness the past few years and I would love nothing more than to run across the United States with 29 other amazing individuals with the goal of helping people.

In addition to my passion for wanting to help people and for running, I would be traveling 4,000 miles this summer for Faye Carroll. I spent 90 days living with a family in Ireland where I cared for their amazing four children. I had the opportunity to nanny for their gorgeous loving daughter Faye who suffers from a chromosomal defect. While Faye has not been affected by cancer she has been dealt her own unique deck of cards. Faye may never walk, talk, or get the chance to fall in love or have her first kiss. I would give up all of those things just to see her smile. I can't help but think, how lucky am I to have been touched by people all over the world and to be given this one life to live? Faye has touched my heart in a way I didn’t know was possible and I have a promise to uphold with her that I will continue to live each day to the absolute fullest. At any moment our loved ones could be taken away from us, whether it be from cancer, a car accident, or a genetic disorder, etc. I may only be one individual in this huge world, but it’s one more person standing up against cancer, standing tall with all of the people that cancer has affected, but more importantly standing up for people like Faye who may never get the chance to do the simple things I am able to. To me this is a run for humanity. I can’t think of a better way to end this, then with a quote that has been my running motto, ‘I run because I can. When I get tired, I remember those who can't run, what they would give to have this simple gift I take for granted, and I run harder for them. I know they would do the same for me.’

2017 marks the 16th year of the 4K for Cancer sending young adults on journeys across the country in an effort to inspire hope and unite communities in the fight against cancer. The 4K for Cancer is a program of The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults (UCF). Interested in joining the fight? Apply to be a rider or runner at www.4kforcancer.org! 

Challenge:

Over 70,000 young adults are diagnosed with cancer every year. Young adults (ages 15-39) face a variety of unique challenges with a cancer diagnosis including fertility preservation, social isolation, lack of insurance, delayed diagnosis, and more. 

Solution:

The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults changes lives by creating a community of support for young adults, and their loved ones, impacted by cancer. With your support, the Ulman Cancer Fund is able to provide free support services and resources for the young adult cancer community including:

Cancer to 5K - a 12-week training program designed to introduce or reintroduce cancer survivors to physical activity.

Patient Navigation - a free program (onsite at cancer centers and remotely through our office) that ensures no young adult ever faces cancer alone. We provide one-on-one support & resources to young adults and their families to help them manage the cancer experience and long-term cancer survival.

Scholarships - a financial assistance program to help young adults continue their education after being affected by cancer through their own diagnosis or the diagnosis of a loved one.

UCF House - This year UCF broke ground on a “home away from home” to provide free housing for young adult cancer patients, and their caregivers, in East Baltimore. 

Your donation will help make these programs and our mission possible!