Kitty is my brother-in-law's mother and is pictured here with her mom and my honored team member, Shirley!  When I told Kitty that I was racing in honor of her mother this is what she had to say:

Tina, With tearful heartfelt thanks I so appreciate your dedication. I have had a hard time with the cancer again in our family ( gregs sister Terri, like a sis to me too). I really loved my moms sense of humor and fight she had while trying to kick the cancer that took her. She was so fun and I miss her so much. I remember her saying at the beginning Kitty somehow its not fair to have two cancers is it?? And I said no it isn't mom but we will fight it and give it our best shot. She had the chronic leukemia for 12 years then developed the inflammatory breast cancer, the worst you can have, not detectable by mammograms.  When she was in florida after her radiation and chemo was done it was taking over her whole body. She ended up in the hospital with the cancer blocking her bowels and had to have surgery fast. We threw everything in the car and drove straight through to the hospital in boca raton fl. and arrived that morning before she went to surgery. She was joking and looked pretty good for all she was dealing with.  It was the best thing I ever did. She had such a tough time after that just trying to get her well enough to fly home to be with her family was rough. I flew in a two seater medvac plane, with two nurses. I had to be in the co-polit seat and was scared but felt a peacefulness just being at her side. She was always such a great mom. I got to share alot of fun times in the last 7 years with her before she left us. I am so glad she is out of the grip of that cancer, its so awful to see someone you love go through that.

  She had to go into the icu in florida and I stayed with her through it all, never left the hospital but twice in the 3 weeks of the last of her days. She said she wanted her private nurse by her! For all she did for me it was the best to give back to caring for her and helping her by just being at her side.  I could write a book about the experience. I stayed with her in florida, on the plane, ambulance ride to the hospital and then she got to come to her home to share her last days. Tough as a nurse knowing when death is near and its your mom. She was 76. I will send the paper obituary we wrote its was good closure.

 It was so great the Jeff got to fly out to see her, Sarah sent pictures of the boys and a video of Grays birth which my mom loved seeing. She loved Jeff and called him Dr. Mcdreamy!! He was her first grandchild.  Jeff and Sarah called when Gray was born and asked my mom to name him, She liked the name Bennett Gray and said call him Gray!! It was a very tearful time. I loved that Sarah was so great to allow Jeff to come out when she just had a baby!! He saw my mom one weekend and flew back the next weekend for her funeral.

  My mom wanted to be a journalist! She sang beautiful and was in plays in High School. She also sang on the radio!! We always had music in our house and I know alot of the old songs from musicals from her singing them. I wish to this day we had recorded her singing, a beautiful voice!! Oh and she did scuba diving in florida!! Got her certification and loved diving. She also loved children and acted like one herself, I am alot like her!! She even went on roller coasters in her 70s with her grandchildren!! The boys called her The Great!! My mom taught herself how to type and when we were bigger got a job down at the navel base.

 Wanted to let you know she spells the name Bernier. Not sure if I told E right or if he just transposed the i and n!!  Eric and Seth are so great, they always bought her pink roses several times, esp on our trip to DC.

  T, I love you dearly for this. From the heart, Kitty and Greg   Will send pics and paper clippin later