Light The Night 2015

When the doctor tells you you have cancer, it does not seem real. I was shocked and in disbelief, not knowing what to think or how to feel. You look in the mirror. You force yourself to say the words, as if repetition makes it tangible, “...I have cancer.” …None of it makes any sense.

I am a cancer survivor. Well, I think... Hmm. I am a cancer... mitigator? Delayer of cancer? I am a cancer ...temporary reprieve-er.

I was diagnosed in April of 2010. Marginal zone, stage three, Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. Cancer. Too wide spread throughout my body to be cut out. After three and a half years of chemotherapy, my oncologist told me I am now in remission. Though mine is one that will come back. I will always worry about blood counts. I will always worry about other people being sick around me. So am I really "cured?" I do not have a good answer to that.

I do not like to dwell on my cancer. Not publicly anyway. Cancer is a downer. There is the nagging fear that I become a symbol of death and decay in people's eyes. I try to make people laugh. I like to help people feel empowered. To others it may seem I pretend my cancer does not exist. Good. I try. Maybe I do because others might think their problems are more manageable if they see me doing well. Maybe it's just because I do not like to acknowledge my mortality. I don't know why.

Shortly after I finished my first round of treatment I found the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. With my wife and family by my side, the LLS became my support group. They helped me through it all. It is not an easy thing to do, either. Just the emotional side of any diagnosis is brutal. The physical effects left me lying on the floor, unable to summon the energy to move, unable to even care. Sometimes even sobbing at the unknown and uncontrollable. That is EXACTLY what I want to spare others from. I hope that someday, this never happens. That cancer is forgotten. That modern medicine renders cancer not only completely treatable, but preventable. Cancer should be forgotten, a shadow of our past.

I have said before that if I could do any one thing in this life, I would like to hold people's hands to lift them when they have fallen. Encourage them. Remind them of the things in this world worth living for. That is the essence of what the LLS is for me. It champions taking action to end cancer. More than just cancer though, it is about helping others as it has helped me.

The Light The Night event is a night when literally thousands of people get together to do that. To rally together in support of all those ever touched by cancer. It is a night that helps us see that we are part of something great. A rising tide of human accomplishment fighting to end cancer. One of my personal heroes, Gordon Hinckley said, “I believe in the principle that I can make a difference in this world. It may be ever so small, but it will count for the greater good.”

I ask you to join with me. Help me fight cancer. Please make a donation to help fund the fight against cancer. Your support helps to fund groundbreaking research, patient support programs, education and awareness programs and more. Please give whatever you can to fight cancer. Use the tool on the right to make a donation. Or, because that donation tool does not show up on a mobilized version of this blog, you can go to my Light The Night page as well.

I thank you with all my heart.

Postcards and Posters

At the urging of a teammate, I am making this available for purchase. This was a "self portrait" I did for the first time I was an Honored Teammate for Team In Training. The original was poster board sized (18x24-ish) which is not economical to print.



What I am offering is two products.

1. A single poster print, 11x17 sized, for $40 dollars.
2. A set of 10 postcards, 5.5x8 -ish, whatever the standard large postcard size is, for $20.

The back of the postcards have this printed small on the bottom,

"W. Ryan Hatch was diagnosed with Stage 3, Marginal Zone Non Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2010.He started running with Team In Training to help fight cancer while going through treatment. Three and a half years later, he reached remission. Now he runs with Team In Training to fight cancer for everyone. GO TEAM!!"

You may order as many of each as you like though be aware of the logistics of printing. I pre-ordered a limited number of postcards and can re-order if they sell out and there is still enough demand. The posters will be ordered when I get enough orders to print at the same time.

If you would like to order, do the math for how many you want and donate to my Team In Training site using the donation tool on the right. For example, 3 posters (=$120) + 2 sets of postcards (=$40) would equal $160. Click on the donation tool, enter the total dollar amount and enter the number of posters and postcards in the memo. Make sure you add you email address in the donation process so I can contact you for the address to which you want them mailed.

So your memo might say "3 posters, 2 postcards. And you rock!" I will laugh at your comment, then send 3 posters and 20 postcards to the address after we email. Simple!

As always, I sincerely thank you all for your support in my fight, and helping me fight cancer for others as well.

...And you ROCK!

You Can Fight Cancer Too! ...without having it.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Cancer, not to praise it.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Cancer...

It is time to take up arms against cancer once more. I am not asking for crazy amounts of donations, though I won't turn them away ;), I am only asking that all that read this donate a minimal $10 to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team In Training. All you need to do is click on the donation thingy on the right, and donate $10.

It's that simple!!

If you donate only $10, I will surpass my goal for this season in raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). Money raised by the LLS funds research on groundbreaking new treatments for ALL cancers, it supports patients that need help paying bills, it funds outreach programs... It fights cancer! Please take a moment, donate $10, and feel GREAT because you are helping to fight cancer!

That what Team In Training is all about. Fighting cancer! Well, fighting cancer and being awesome! Those are the two things TNT is all about. Okay, fighting cancer, being awesome, and sweating like crazy as we run and run and run. Those are the three thing TNT is all about. ...but nothing else.

Thank you for all your support.

TEN DOLLAR TUESDAYS!!!

Alright party people, and that means you, it’s time to FIGHT CANCER!!

“How?” you might ask. Easy enough. As I begin training to run another half marathon (13.1 miles), I am putting in the sweat and aches and pains and miles… All I ask of you is your sponsorship.

Tomorrow starts what I am calling “$10 Tuesdays!!” For the remaining Tuesdays in February, I ask that all my Facebook friends donate a measly $10 to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through my fundraising page

http://pages.teamintraining.org/oswim/anchor14/wryanhatch.

IT’S THAT SIMPLE!! If all of my friends will do this, I will pass my goal for this season. But I promise not to stop there. I have other fundraising ideas and projects because I have been in the chemo chair and I have seen those in the chairs around me. I feel more than lucky to have come out the other side and have made a life goal to help others do the same. The money raised goes toward finding more cures, more effective medicine, and letting loved ones live another day with their family and friend.

If your heart is so full and you have the means, please feel free to donate more than the $10 I am asking for at this time. If everyone donated just $20, I would double my goal. If your heart is full and you do not have the means, please do what you can even if that is just passing this invite and my fundraising page or my blog along.

With all my heart, I thank you for your support.

-Ryan

National Cancer Survivor Day

My mom posted this yesterday on Facebook. It was very nice of her. And not to be overlooked, she has fought her own fight against cancer. It has not been an easy road for her and she is doing well. It always astounds me how many of us have been affected by cancer, even if that is by relation. Please take a moment, use the widget on the right for Team In Training (TNT) and make a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to help fight cancer. Or you can go to my actual TNT donation page and donate there. Your donation goes to help fund research and patient support. Thank you.

Today is 'National Cancer Survivor' day. I want to give a tribute to our son Ryan, who is in remission after battling lymphoma for 3 1/2 years. During that time, he took up running to raise money and run in marathons for the Portland chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). Even when he had pneumonia and was going through chemo, he ran the 1/2 marathons as part of the group 'Team in Training'. He has become a motivational speaker for LLS. His philosophy is that no one goes through cancer alone, and he is there to lift them up and give them a hand when they need it. He is such an example to everyone who faces severe challenges in life. He truly is an amazing 'Cancer Survivor'!

Brooks and Team In Training?

Well I certainly HOPE so. Brooks has a number of charity organizations with who they have worked in the past, donating either a percentage of sales or products and things. I have reached out to them in an effort to strike up a similar partnership for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The real nitty gritty of the proposal is that they make a limited edition purple shoe of one of their lines of shoes, and donate a portion of the sales to Team In Training. What would be the coolest ever is if they did one whole month of purple products, shoes, shirts, hats and jacket, and donate from that month's sales. That way customers could buy whatever model shoe they run in (the Ghost for me), or a jacket or something if they prefer a different shoe for running. Everyone can show their TEAM spirit that way.

Well the idea has been officially proposed and I should hear back by mid January. I will post an update about it then.

...Fingers crossed!

Vive La... TEAM!!

As I continue to be a part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team In Training program, or TNT, some of my teammates this season trained for the Paris marathon. Just before they left, as a way to cheer them on, I put this together. The images were all found online. I Photoshoped them (color, size, blur, paint, etc.) together to make it work.

A Cancer Mitigator

First let me say thank you to everyone that participated in the art auction, both purchasing or donating. I would like to address that more fully, but something else is on my mind right now.

A friend of mine just posted that a friend of hers just died of cancer today. I have been doing this for just about three years now. Any time I hear or read something like this, I am at a loss for what to say. And I can say a lot. But sometimes words just fail me.

I want to do something. Anything. Rally the troops... I just want to give people a hug.

Working with a local company for a charity fundraiser in the last few weeks, I was asked to write up a short introduction about who I am and my experience with Team In Training. This is what I sent them.

When the doctor tells you you have cancer, it does not seem real. I was shocked and in disbelief, not knowing what to think or how to feel. You look in the mirror. You force yourself to say the words, as if repetition makes it tangible, “...I have cancer.” …None of it makes any sense.

Hello. My name is Ryan. I am a cancer survivor. Well, I think... Hm. I am a cancer... mitigator? Delayer of cancer? I am a cancer ...temporary reprieve-er.

I was diagnosed in April of 2010. Marginal zone, stage three, Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. Cancer. Too wide spread throughout my body to be cut out. In November of that same year, and just as I was starting another round of chemo, I attended my first Team In Training meeting. Team In Training, or TEAM or TNT, is the fundraising arm of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). They do endurance events like marathons, half marathons, triathlons, etc. all to raise money for cancer research and treatment. The meeting was an informational recruiting meeting. It was in a pub and there was a good amount of people there. They spoke a little about the nuts and bolts of TNT and LLS. They had a participant and cancer survivor talk as well. I had a hard time keeping the tears from falling, and the fear and doubt from showing. After the meeting I called my wife and choked out, "I have to do this." Without hesitation, she said ok. I think I needed to prove to myself that I could still be me, that I could still live. I signed up having never liked distance running, having never even run a 5K, and not knowing if my doctors would let me.

My oncologist conditionally gave approval for my running a half marathon (13.1 miles) only if I was willing to walk when needed. He would not approve a full marathon. I promised. During training for my first half marathon, I was going through rounds of treatment. I had my long day on Thursdays (5+ hours), then a short day on Friday, then we had our group run on Saturdays. The Saturday group runs became my support group. Being there helped me feel better. It helped me feel like I could make it through treatment. It was empowering when I just wanted to quit.

When I began the season, I thought with my former rugby player ego, "Shoot! I can run a full marathon. Cancer won't stop me." I had finished another round of chemo by about a month, and literally one week before the race I was hospitalized with pneumonia. By the time I got to the starting line of the Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon (2011), I just wanted to cross the finish line on my own feet, without dying.

That weekend changed my life.

One of my teammates ran with me the whole way. I don't remember exactly where, but about mile 7 or 8, I happened to look down at the back of her race shirt. There is a place on the back of all TEAM shirts to write in the names of those for whom you run, those that keep you going, those you remember. I saw my name there. My name on her shirt. Surely that must have been someone else. So I asked. "Is that, is that MY name?" Yes. I still get choked up over that. That I could have such an impact on another in a positive way. It is a powerful thing. I found out later several of my teammates that weekend had done the same. I had no idea.

I went through two years of chemo therapy. While going through treatment, I got sick. I lost my hair. I lost liters of blood. I had trips to the ER. Emotionally and physically, I was worn out. I was a wreck. I am now considered to be in remission. My tests results "show no sign of the disease." What does that mean? I still have to go in for treatment. It's a very light dose once every two months. It's still no “treat.” This process has proved to significantly delay the eventual return of cancer. Yes, eventual. It will return. So am I a survivor?

I am a survivor of multiple half marathons while going through rounds and rounds of chemo. I am member of Team In Training. I do it because I hope that someday cancer is forgotten. That modern medicine renders cancer not only completely treatable, but preventable. Cancer should become a shadow of our past.

Team In Training and the LLS are not just about running to me. They are about realizing we can do something about the situation(s) in which we find ourselves. It would be easy to turn our face to the wall and give up. It would be easy to stay down when knocked over. But the LLS strives to help people overcome those times. "Why do we fall sir? So we might learn to pick ourselves up." Sometimes we need help. Sometimes it may be as simple as Alfred's reminder to Bruce. Get up. Yes you can.

You can learn about the advances that the LLS has funded. Drugs that have been developed using the money the LLS raises. Cancers that are treated because of those efforts. Maybe more important than that, to me anyway, is the lesson the LLS gives us all. It is about getting up when we fall down. It is about helping others to do the same. It is about how we can overcome the emotional tides that affects us all.

Cancer is something I will have to live with forever. Mine is one that will come back. I will always worry about blood counts. I will always worry about other people being sick around me. But if I could do any one thing in this life, I would like to hold people's hands, lift them when they have fallen, encourage them, remind them of the things in this world worth living for, remind them of the brilliant person they are.

My teammates got me through it all. They still do. I know I can never repay them for what they have done to keep me going. I just hope I can pay it forward. Cancer has changed me. I am a part of Team In Training. I am a part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I will be forever.

I thank you with all my heart.

GO TEAM!!

-Ryan

Art For a Cure: Art Work

Here are the prints that will be available in the auction. The auction store will be on eBay at stores.ebay.com/Art-For-a-Cure. Since these items will not be live until Sunday the 3rd, they do not show up in the store. In order to make sure you can see them and look at what is available before the auction, I have listed them all here. The outstanding few that are not yet listed should be up by the end of this Friday.

Please tell all your friends to come bid and by something as all proceeds will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to help fight cancer.

Thank you. And a special thank you to all the artists that have donated their work.

-Ryan

"Bird" Mix Media by Laura Buller	"Flame Hair" Mix Media by Laura Buller
"Kick" Watercolor by Laura Buller	"Tentacle Lady" Mixed Media by Laura Buller
"Hunters" Silkscreen by Josh Cochran	"Christmas" Digital by Cassandra Worthington
"Crocodile Tears" Watercolor on watercolor paper by Peter de Seve *Available only in the 11x14 size.	"Summer Getaway" Watercolor on watercolor paper by Peter de Seve *Available only in the 11x14 size.
"Tag Sale" Watercolor on watercolor paper by Peter de Seve *Available only in the 11x14 size.	"Toothbrush" Oil, Acrylic, Pastel by Justin Garrity
"Flower" Photo on metallic paper by Chris Hatch	"Fancy Lady" Ink by W. Ryan Hatch
"NYC" Mix Media by W. Ryan Hatch	"The South Lands" Digital by W. Ryan Hatch
"You!" Mix Media by Michael Hilliard	"Stop and Go" Marker by Michael Hilliard
"Frederick at the Fridge" Watercolor by David Hohn	"Red Riding Hood" Watercolor by David Hohn
"Blue" Mix Media by AJ Juson	"Women 1" Lithograph by YuChia Kao
"Women 2" Lithograph by YuChia Kao	"Houctopus" Digital by YuChia Kao
"Monster" Pen by YuChia Kao	"Cicada 1" Lithograph, Artist’s Proof ORIGINAL by YuChia Kao
"Orange" Lithograph, Artist’s Proof ORIGINAL by YuChia Kao	"Sister's Gold" Paint by Alex Miller
"Bike Ride" Digital by Norman Morana	"Fishing Day" Digital by Norman Morana
"The Flying Box" Mixed Media by Norman Morana	"Haunting" Digital by Norman Morana
"Refresh" Digital by Norman Morana	"Canyon" Photo by Kyle Morgan
"Flower" Photo by Kyle Morgan	"Dancer" Mix Media by Anna Owen
"Orange" Paint by Anna Owen	"Red" Watercolor by Anna Owen
"Baby Hayden" Digital Paint by Becky Steele	"Red" Acrylic by Becky Steele
"Bicycle" Watercolor and Digital by Lee White *Available only in the 11x14 size.	"Blue" Paint by Allyson Willsey
"Red" Paint by Allyson Willsey	Additional print(s) may still be coming in. Check back or just go to the eBay store on Sunday March 3rd. Thank you!

Art For a Cure Update

The donated prints are rolling in and I could not be more pleased! More information will come as I get the eBay page up but the dates for the auction will be March 3rd-9th. That starts in a week and a half and will run for one week. 

In the mean time, here are a few of the donated pieces. This first one is from Peter de Seve, title: "Crocodile Tears"


This is from Norman Morana, title: "Haunting"


This is from Anna Owen, title: "Dancer"

Art For A Cure!

Shortly after I started running with Team In Training, I was thinking about ideas for fundraising and thought I wanted to do an art sale in some form. But I did not know how to go about it, worrying about the logistics. The idea was tabled in hopes of figuring it out later. Well now is later. Three years later.

The idea had been ever present in my mind. One of those that always sits on the back burner and never lets you forget about it. Finally I gave in. I thought about how I could make it work. This is my result.

In a few short weeks, maybe less, I will get an eBay page set up for an art auction. I contacted a number of artists, mostly I knew from art school. Some were just wild shot's in the dark. No way these guys would even respond. I am quite pleased to say that some of the big time artists responded and are participating too. How cool is that?!

The eBay site will sell prints of original works by each artist. There will be only two prints available of each piece, and 8x10 and 11x14 inch print. The auction functions like normal, you may bid higher and higher to be the highest bidder before the closing date/time for the auction. Following the conclusion of the auction, I will ship the print(s) to the highest bidders with a charity donation receipt and a thank you. Your donation/purchase will be of course applied to the Team In Training account I am using this season to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Artists have already started sending in work for this and I am blown away by their response. If this works out as well as I think it is going to, this will become an anual event. Hopefully getting bigger every year.

Some of the big artists that have already committed and/or sent prints include Peter deSeve, Lee White, and Josh Cochran.

This image is one of mine and is from a children's book I am working on. Therefore, it will NOT be auctioned off at this time. But I wanted to give an idea of what might be in the auction. There is no theme, pieces are whatever the artist wishes to submit. When I get a full or final list of participating artists this year, I will post that as well.



For now, I would love for everyone to pass this along and help generate as much hype as possible.

Thank you very much,

-Ryan

Powerful Conversations

Jack is now in First grade. Over the summer, one of his friends from Kindergarten, Matt [not his real name], had his dad diagnosed with terminal Myeloma. They said he would be gone before Christmas. The week before school started (three-four months early), his dad passed away. In September, Mandy texted me the conversation Jack relayed to her that day.

Jack: "Hi Matt."
Matt: "Hi Jack. My dad died."
Jack: "Yeah. I know. That's really sad."
Matt: "Yeah. Let's go play."


...I could not keep it together that day. I had to go home and hug my kids.

You want to know why I run with Team In Training? Why do I fundraise for them? I do it because I hope that some day, conversations like this never happen. That they are forgotten as modern medicine makes cancer not only completely treatable, even at very late stages, but preventable. Cancer should become a shadow of our past. Not our present and every day.

I run for Team In Training because my first team got me through chemo. My second season and team got me through more chemo. And now, I try to help motivate others to make it through their hard times, chemo or not.

That is why I run. Please donate and help end cancer. I set up a widget on the side of my blog here. You can donate directly to the LLS and Team In Training there, and get an instant email confirmation. Please.

I thank you with all my heart.

GO TEAM!!