Pia Willfort was diagnosed with an aggressive stage IV glioblastoma multiform brain tumor in 2012. After the doctors initially gave her an approximate six months to live, she promptly decided she wouldn’t give up that easily. The first surgery was a success with no recovery period and I’m proud to say my mother was back on her feet and energetic as always. Radiation and chemotherapy almost seemed to have no ill effect on her body or strength at all. Things were going smoothly and I couldn’t have been happier for her because it seemed she was holding up so well and in such great shape. In mid-2014 however, things took a turn. After four surgeries, years of radiation and chemotherapy, her body couldn’t take it anymore. She slowly lost power and control over the left half of her body. The cancer had spread too far and it seemed as if things were no longer reversible. It was by far the most shocking moment in my life; seeing my mother paralyzed and helpless. Despite the horrible situation she was now in, she kept fighting and trying until her very last breath. My mother passed away on August 25th, 2014. She had been living with cancer for more than two years at that point.
She taught me that if you believe in yourself that nothing can hold you down. I doubt I would have the strength or courage to ever go through what my Mom did, which is why I am so proud of her, and will honor her name until I rejoin her in the afterlife. Pia gave everything for the people she loved, including her life. This is why I am running for her, and all the mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters out there that are dealing with the same pain that I feel. I do this for you all, and especially for you Mom, because it is the least I can do after receiving so much from you. I ask you to join me in this run for brain cancer, do it for yourself, a relative, or for a good soul like my mom. She would have done the same for any of you. I look forward to seeing you there, and hopefully one day, together, we can find an end to this horrible disease. In the meanwhile, we can honor and remember them, and help the loved ones currently dealing with the pain we all know intimately. We are the cure, let’s get out there and show the world that through love and unity, nothing can stop us.
I love you Mom, and I am going to make you proud.
Your Son,
Stephan Meier
