March
Blog from Sara

Greetings!

This is my first blog post for C.U.R.E.! Some of you may already be familiar with me, while I am a new face to others. I’m Sara Harrison, the new Community & Events coordinator. I am also a C.U.R.E. parent to an 8 year old C.U.R.E. Kid, Jack, who has a brain tumor.

Life has a funny way of working out. All the experiences, big or small, now seem like chapters in a book that lead you to where you are. My past work is a mixed bag of many things, but all event management and planning related. Post college, I started working promotional marketing for a large firm who represented Coca-Cola with all their Olympic engagements. My first job was going cross-country with the Olympic Torch on the 2002 Olympic Torch Relay. I worked outside along the parade route in 46 states on that tour. This, as the Olympic flame crisscrossed the nation post 9-11 at the height of patriotic fever. It was an incredible experience to see all the places and faces of Americans all looking for an experience that would make a difference in their lives, even for a moment. Watching that torch go from Atlanta to the opening ceremonies in Salt Lake City, I was hooked on the event experience and making a small difference in the lives of others.

I went on to manage national tours for Barbie, Better Homes & Gardens and even worked on
branding and concert goer experience with a 20 city concert tour featuring
Pharrell Williams. Eventually landing an in-house event marketing gig with
General Cigar Co. Where I was expert trained in cigar manufacturing in the
Dominican Republic and would host Cigar 101 events all over the Northeast. Needless
to say I had a gypsy spirit and loved all my travels across America.

Eventually, I would settle down with my husband Eric, an Army Officer and continue that
gypsy spirit of moving around from duty station to duty station by way of
Hawaii, D.C., Texas and Germany. We had 2 boys, Eli & Jack. My job as an
army wife was maintaining a constant routine for our boys while Eric was off on
deployments and long training exercises. In that time, I volunteered a lot!
Some weeks 20-30 hours. While in Fort Hood, TX I volunteered to chair the
largest fundraiser on base. This event was almost dead in the water when I got
there, no-one wanted to tackle it. I stepped up. Through some restructuring and
re-imagining, I was able double our profits by the second year and carry that
through in my third. I learned so much about fundraising events, I was hooked on this.

We eventually moved to Germany in January 2018 and this is where my son would get
this Brain Tumor diagnosis just 5 month later. If you are a subscriber to our
newsletters you most likely have a connection to a life changing diagnosis. So
you know what it’s like hearing those words, “your child has a brain tumor” or
“your child has cancer” and so on. All your experience could never prepare you
for that. It’s almost like that was the end of a chapter in your life and the
beginning of another, completely unwritten and I could not be its author. This
chapter is written moment to moment or one breath at a time.

After learning that his tumor was inoperable then having one of the best neurosurgeons
in Germany call us into his office, pleading he could operate even though it
may come with great setbacks; is turmoil. We sought a second opinion at
C.H.O.P. and learned that indeed it was inoperable and that Jack needed a 60
week course of chemotherapy. Which could be treated anywhere with a decent
reputation. With a long road ahead, the Army granted us a 12 month “Compassionate
Reassignment” and we chose to be near family here in Rochester. We would later
find out some 6 months in, that an “Army angle” would elongate this Rochester
assignment from 12 months to 36, unbeknownst to us. Upon learning of this, we
were thrilled to have a constant routine for our boys once again.

From that and much more, you start to see the best in some people as you are going
through a rough time. “Attitude of gratitude” became my mantra. I think I
adopted it from Terry Cruz, you know the guy from Brooklyn-99 who always makes
his over muscled pecs dance? I saw him interviewed once and he claimed his
sunny disposition was because he woke up each day with an “attitude of gratitude.”
He said he had experienced major pitfalls in life and changing his attitude is
what got him from bottom to the top. That attitude got me though some of the
darkest months of our cancer journey. I do believe that there is power in
positive thinking and the narrative of our chapter started to change. As we
grew closer to his bell ringing, I didn’t want to walk away from the cancer
community. The families, doctors, nurses, staff and C.U.R.E. parent advocates
got me through this and I was so grateful for each and every one of them. As a
parent, my caregiver roll had changed, while positive, I didn’t know what I was
going to do with myself now? It felt like it was time to go back to work. I remember having a chat with my best friend when I was at that crossroad and I said, the best case scenario would be to
fundraise and plan large scale events at C.U.R.E.. I kid you not, the job was
posted the very next day.

So yes, life definitely has a funny way of working out. Now 2 months into the job, I have
learned so much more about C.U.R.E., this community and the wonderful people
who work so hard to keep it moving. My attitude of gratitude continues with an
even bigger heart. I am so fortunate to see the best in people. All these
different chapters in life have lead me to where I am today. I wouldn’t
re-write a thing. I always say the cancer community is a bunch of friends you
never wish to make. However once you do, they quickly become your family. Since
we are now family, please come say hello! You know my story, now tell me yours,
I’d love to get to know each one of you!

With gratitude,

-Sara
Harrison

March Blog: Catching up with Sara