TAMPA, Fla — Families, survivors and supporters gathered in downtown Tampa Saturday for the annual Race to Cure Sarcoma, an event aimed at raising awareness and money to fight a rare form of cancer.
For Tampa Bay 28 meteorologist Jason Adams, the mission is personal.
Jason’s brother-in-law, Matt, was diagnosed with sarcoma last year. He was diagnosed in March and died just five months later, in August.
“When we did get the diagnosis, we were completely in shock,” Jason’s sister, Jeanette Aley, said. “And then to only have five months to work through everything and just even catch our breath and understand what was going on was really tragic.”
More than a year later, Jason and Jeanette continue to share Matt’s story, hoping it can bring greater attention to the disease and help other families facing the same fight.
“After the initial shock of losing my brother-in-law, it was anger. I was angry,” Jason said. “There were no options for him.”
Matt’s story was one of many represented at Saturday’s race.
Sarcoma survivors Matt Strong and Ethan Highsmith were also there. Highsmith, 17, was diagnosed when he was 13.
“I always think God kept me here for a reason,” Highsmith said. “I’d imagine it’s something like this charity work.”
Strong, 24, continues to battle sarcoma after first being diagnosed nearly five years ago. His nurse, Jenn Tromer, said his resilience has inspired the people caring for him as he has faced multiple relapses.
Among the youngest people attending was 6-year-old Sloane Campisi, who came for one simple reason: to support her dad.
The families at Saturday’s race hope sharing their stories will help more people learn about sarcoma while raising money for cancer research and giving future patients more options.
For more information and how to donate, head to https://curesarcoma.org/
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