Posted with mod permission
In 1998 I was an 18-year-old senior in high school when I became an aunt for the first time when my oldest sister gave birth to John David.
In the last 18 years I have lived with my sister twice, once for 7 months and once for 2 years. During those times I became very close to my nephew. He has impressed me so much over the last 18 years, in large part because he has worked so hard to overcome mental abuse at the hands of his father and to cope with his own depression.
Last year I asked JD what he planned to do after graduating and he told me he was going to spend the summer after school riding his bike across the country to raise money for charity. In the year since then he has been accepted as a rider for the Ulman Cancer Fund’s 4K for Cancer, he has been training at the gym and on his bike, and he got a job to help fund his ride. He has put in over $1500 of his own money to help meet the $4500 minimum all riders must raise. He also chose an employer, Home Depot, which supported him by also donating $1000.
This is a blog post he wrote explaining his depression and his bike-riding.
We’re getting down to the wire now. JD leaves Vermont for Baltimore in fewer than 3 weeks and then after that he’ll be riding his bike from Baltimore to Portland Oregon.
No one in my family has ever done something like this and to say that I’m proud would be a massive understatement. My nephew inspires me every day of his life.
In honor of his 18th birthday, I am asking the wonderful Dopers to help me show my nephew how amazing he is and how much the world appreciates people like him by making small donations to his ride. I’m not sure what the allowed minimum is but I know it’s at least as low as $5
This is the link to his donation page.
Thank you for reading and thank you for considering supporting the best nephew anyone could ever ask for.
Sincerely,
Claryn
TL&DR Asking for donations to my nephew’s Ulman Cancer Fund 4K for Cancer bike ride on his 18th birthday.