Jennifer Davis

Let me start by saying this; it feels like it gets easier every day. Don't get me wrong, there are days when I don't feel the greatest, but I try my best to fight through it and keep moving. That whole sentiment goes back to nearly four years ago, when I collapsed in my bedroom. My spine had compressed in three places and I was sent immediately to the hospital for back surgery. Later that day, head spinning and in a daze, my doctor came into my room and diagnosed me with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer that I had never heard of.

As you can imagine, my life was turned upside down. In a split second, I became a cancer patient. I didn't want to accept what was happening, but also knew I wasn't going to let it define me. I was hopeful for the future. I believed in my doctors and most importantly, I believed in myself. Sure it sounds like I'm this pillar of strength, but truth be told, those around me are much stronger.

One of the things I'm most grateful for are my family and friends. Their support has not wavered from the very beginning. It has encouraged me to fight harder for myself, but more importantly, for me to try and show gratitude in a way that words can't describe. When I found that the MMRF was planning a Mt. Everest Base Camp trek, I could barely contain my excitement. Here was the opportunity to check something off my "personal wish list" and prove to myself that the strength wasn't just in my mind. Little did I know that it would actually change my entire perspective.

With all that I have been through the last four years, this opportunity has already begun to be one of the most meaningful and impactful experiences of my life. I want to show my family and friends that their support is what is giving me strength every day. I want to be someone my team can lean on not only through the physical demands of the trek, but also emotionally. And I want the MMRF to see that the great things they do each day reach far and wide, and in this case, approximately 18,000 ft.

I am truly grateful for each of you.