Today Melanie Fastrup lost her battle with lymphoma. She died in the hospital, surrounded by family and friends. Melanie was mom to three girls, a former teacher, and wife of my teammate, Dan Fastrup. She suffered from Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia.
This mouthful of words simply means that lymphoma cells in the bone marrow crowd out normal blood-producing cells. As a result, Melanie needed a lot of blood transfusions. She had one yesterday afternoon and caught a bacterial infection. Dan found her unconscious on the living room floor. At the hospital, all her systems began shutting down. Melanie went on life support. She perished this afternoon.
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training was a big deal to Melanie. She participated as a walker with the San Gabriel Valley team. She got Dan off the couch and into running with TNT. And this season, Melanie served as our Honored Teammate. Honored Teammates are leukemia/lymphoma survivors that we salute in spirit whenever we run.
I remember Melanie cheering on TNT at mile 12 of the Santa Barbara Half-Marathon. She had a big smile and word of encouragement for me as I headed to the finish line. In fact, rarely did Melanie not have a big smile. Perhaps it was living under threat of death for so long that gave her a deep inner joy. She used to ask me how my broken foot was mending. This in the midst of bone marrow transplants, blood transfusions, and chemo to the 10th power. Melanie had discarded much of the baggage we think is important and found a peace and a courage that I greatly admired.
Our Coach Katie McCollom sent around a poem by author Raymond Carver. He also fought cancer and this is what he thought shortly before his death.
"Late Fragment"
"And did you get what you wanted
from this life? Even so,
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth."
Melanie passed away beloved by many. She will always be my Honored Teammate.
I run the City of Angels Half-Marathon this Sunday in her memory.
And come January, I will run the Phoenix Marathon for Melanie as well.
And if you could, please click on my Team in Training button and make a donation.
Melanie's fight is finished. But there are other beloved out there who may still be saved.
7 comments:
John, I'm so sorry to hear this. She was clearly a lovely woman inside and out.
It hurts so bad to lose one of the exceptional ones.
John, I was Melanie's classroom neighbor for a short time a few years ago at the elementary school where she taught. She truly was a wonderful person, a lover of the Lord, and an inspiration to everyone around her. I am a runner as well, and will dedicate my run at the Walt Disney World Marathon in January to her and her family.
K,
With cancer. family life revolves around treatment.
But it can also draw a family tightly together.
I think that's the Fastrups.
Melanie showed a lot of grace and good cheer.
That's a pretty good legacy.
Anonymous,
Good for you. I wore a ribbon "In Memory: Melanie Fastrup" during my half-marathon today.
She was good soul.
Best of luck at the Disney World Marathon!
She my favorite teacher.I had for 3rd and 4th grade.Everyone that knew her at school loved her a misses her.
I'm incredibly heartbroken & in tears! She was my teacher 2 years in a row! She had a major impact in my life. I know it's been a long time since her passing, but I'm just finding out. My prayers go out to her family.
She was a good mom and wife with three daughters.
Strong faith.
I think she's in good hands.
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