Famous

Bekah's famous! She has been featured in the latest edition of the Brigham & Women's Hospital's weekly newsletter, the BWH Bulletin. The article highlights her role in fundraising for the hospital and applauds her effort in training for the 114th Boston Marathon with Team Brigham, a group of 31 employees running the marathon. To read about Bekah in the article, click here. For all those public health savvy people out there, she is pictured on the same page as Paul Farmer. Thanks to all who have helped her raise over $3,100 for community programs at the hospital. Interested in helping her reach her goal of $3,500? Visit her fundraising page. There are only two weeks and 5 days left till marathon day! Hopefully her hematocrit level rises before race day.

Tulips

Spring is in the air! The past few weeks have been wet, windy, and rainy, but we are already appreciating the grass being a little greener, tiny buds forming on the trees, and the daffodils popping up. We decided to bring a little bit of spring (and the good old Dutch heritage) into our apartment with these beautiful tulips!

Anemic

Unfortunately, Bekah's marathon training was halted last week when she learned she is anemic. She had been feeling unusually tired for a few weeks and went to the doctor to have her blood tested. Sure enough, her hematocrit level (percentage of blood carrying red blood cells) was only 23%. A normal value for females is 36%. Needless to say, Bekah's doctors were alarmed by her low rates and ordered her to stop any type of exercise until the number rises. She had a blood transfusion last week, is taking iron supplements three times a day, and will continue to have her blood levels tested weekly for the coming weeks. The doctors are hopeful Bekah will have enough high enough levels to run the marathon, which is three weeks from tomorrow. We are thankful Bekah's anemia was found before it got worse.

During the past week and a half, God has been teaching Bekah a lot. This is what she has to say about what she has learned so far:

For the past four months I have been so disciplined in my training regimen. Even the dark, cold nights, early Saturday mornings, and a hungry husband did not keep me from going out for these runs. I had everything planned perfectly as to how I would train for the marathon. In addition, my body was functioning perfectly to help me run 4, 6, or 18 miles. When one small detail (an iron level) was not in the range it should be, suddenly my previously perfect training schedule was wrecked. When normally an athlete is told to push harder, I have been told to rest. It is so close to marathon day, and I have been told to rest.

It is now that I sit here and recognize that my strength (physical and emotional) truly is a gift from God, and something I have little control over. God is the one who formed me in my mother’s womb and created my body to function appropriately. It’s pretty amazing to me – every heart beat, every breath in and out, every movement of my legs – God has coordinated all of this. He has given each step to me. It is He who gave me movement in my legs and gave me a joy for running. He has given my body strength since my first step, and it is He who can restore my body to strength in the coming weeks. To God be the glory!

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

--2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Keep checking Bekah's fundraising page for updates about her training. She has now raised over $3,000 for Brigham & Women's Hospital and has about $500 left to raise before marathon day!

Licensed

Congratulations Bekah! She has successfully passed the next level of her clinical tests and has achieved her final level of licensing for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This means she will never have to take another test again in her lifetime! She is now a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), which means she could have her own private practice if she chose so. Despite the fact she could branch out on her own, she still works at the Brigham, just getting paid a little more.

Permit

The second time was a charm! After two tries, we successfully obtained one of the most coveted wilderness permits in Yosemite. The National Park System has granted us permission to spend two days in the backcountry to hike to the summit of Half Dome (pictured) and explore beautiful Little Yosemite Valley. We are thrilled to have won the permit lottery. Mitch has already begun searching for bear canisters to protect our food from being eaten by bears.