A Story – Alexa, Eric and Newman!

Hey Friends,

We’re down to 17 days until the Columbus Marathon on October 17^th and our fundraising deadline is looming!

On the training side, my right hamstring is getting better.  It hurts on occasion but not as much as it did.  I was able to run a couple of times last weekend and hope to get some good long runs in this coming weekend.  I’m a little behind of course but it will have to do.  One marathon and one double marathon are nothing compared to what our Honorees go through!  If I have to, I’ll be crawling to the finish line!

I’ve attached an updated Honoree list…there are now 120 names! I’ve recently added Eric and Newman and I have to tell you their stories…

Friends Dave and Amy Zisky made a donation and asked me to run for their beloved Newman who passed away a few months ago.  I hesitated for a second because Newman…well…Amy wrote me a nice email about Newman so I’ll let you read it:

“Ernie, 

Dave and I first met Newman on the front page of our paper.  He was a rescue dog that was being fostered by Planned Pethood.  His name at the time was Jonah and he was a young beagle.  He had the most loveable face and the cutest white spot on his floppy brown ear.  We went to see him and he was shy and very calm for a beagle.  We talked about him for a few days, especially about the toughest part of owning an animal; the end.  We agreed that having a dog was something we wanted to do and went to the next adoption event and came home with him.  That was 4th of July weekend of 2002.  We were trying to find a good name for him while watching the Nascar race.  Newman seemed to fit and once we thought of the Seinfeld character, we were sold.  He became “Newman” in so many ways.

Newman was always making friends with people.  Being a friendly-looking beagle, everyone wanted to pet him.  Newman knew more people than we did.  Dave’s dad would take him for rides to Lake Erie and around Fremont.  He would travel with us camping where he’d always find someone he had to meet.  He started going with us to our office for moral support (or naps, we’re not sure which).  He loved to lay in our arms like a baby, car rides, ice cream stops, and especially drive-thru windows (fast food or banks).

Then the first weekend in May, he was acting strangely when he went with Dave to set up our camper.  We made an emergency trip to the vet on Sunday where blood work was taken.  We found out by the middle of the week that he had Lymphoma.  We were devastated.  Both of us had beagles when we were younger that had lived to 12 years or more.  We thought we had more time with him.  Chemotherapy was an option, but with dogs, not a cure.  It would extend his time somewhat but that was all the vets could promise us.  We decided to place him on steroid treatments and make him the happiest dog while he was still with us.  This meant bones from the butcher, travelling to the camper each weekend, and whatever else he felt up to.  We lost him the week before Memorial Day.

Thank you for having Newman on your list as a special honoree.  He was such a good friend to both of us.  A lot can be learned for the treatment of humans through the treatment of animals and vice versa.  We hope that our donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma society will bring us one step closer to no one, human or canine, having to suffer from these diseases.  Thank you for taking a couple steps for Newman.  He’d love to be there with you, until some smell took him off your chosen path! – Dave and Amy Zyski”

In adding Newman to the Honoree list, I thought about Alexa Brown.  If you remember, Alexa was added to our list early last year for friend Tom Hopkins.  Sadly, Alexa lost her battle late last summer.  She was 11 years old.  And yesterday, I had lunch with my friend Bob Locker.  He asked how my fundraising and running have been coming along.  I mentioned the Honoree list and that we now had 119 names on it.  Then he started to tell me something but he had a little bit of a difficult time and he had tears in his eyes.  Then I had tears in my eyes.  It turns out Bob had a cousin, Eric Charles Young, who was diagnosed with Leukemia.  Eric lost his battle too.  He was just two years old.

I now imagine Alexa and Eric are somewhere having fun chasing after and playing with their furry friend Newman and occasionally stopping to get ice cream for the three of them…

Our fundraising is at $1,620 which is just 29% of goal!  We still have about $4,000 to go in 17 days so I really need your help!  Please consider making a donation to support the cause and find a cure for cancer.  You can donate safely and securely online at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/noh/columbus10/ernestalewis

If you prefer to donate off-line, please make your check payable to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and mail it to me at:  3936 Elmhurst Road, Toledo, OH 43613.

Thanks for all your encouragement and support in fighting the good fight!  I appreciate it so much!

Ernie