It is an honor to introduce you to Christine Meyer, MD the founder of Team CMMD Foundation, a local nonprofit charity helping to raise money to fight and find a cure for cancer.
What is your MISSION? What do you want to accomplish?
The mission of my nonprofit charity, the Team CMMD Foundation, is to raise money to find a cure for cancer, the ruthless disease that we all fear and too many of us fight. In doing this work, hundreds of moms, dads, kids and so many community members have discovered a renewed commitment to service and volunteering, to health and fitness (we are, at our core, a running, walking and cycling team), and a desire to help others who are fighting difficult battles. Through this work, my personal mission has become one of care and inspiration for anyone who needs to be lifted up. It is my hope that through the efforts of the foundation, the inspirational memoir I recently published, my full-time work as a family physician, and my continued dedication to service, I accomplish the goal of creating a more connected, compassionate community, where there is less cancer, and more love.
Tell a little bit about how this mission came to be so important to you.
The CMMD in "Team CMMD" stands for Christine Meyer, MD, as I am a local physician with an Exton practice. Well in 2012, that practice and my personal life were under attack by cancer. After losing several of my dearest, youngest patients to the disease, I received the news that changed my life: my aunt and medical mentor, Dr. Venis Fanous, was diagnosed with Stage IIIB colon cancer and was in for the fight of her life. I couldn't take it any more; I needed to fight back. I formed a small 4-person running team with a goal of raising $2,000 and running the 10-mile Philadelphia Broad Street Run, hoping that this small effort would give me some power over the situation and heal my heart. It did that, and infinitely more. My team blossomed into 47 runners and $67,000 raised in the first year. It quickly became my second family, and my passion, as we grew the organization into a force for good in our community and an army against cancer. We are now an official 501(c)3 charity, with a kids' running program; coat, food and blood drives; our own local races raising money for cancer; and hundreds of thousands of dollars given to local families. My new book, The Longest Mile, tells the full story of how we began, with all of its heartache and laughter, and reveals how I went from being crushed by the weight of cancer, to healing myself and my community.
What part do your children play in your mission?
My three children are at the heart of my drive to grow the foundation. They might not have been the reason I started all of this, but they are the reason I won't quit. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, and each year as I support, and mourn, children who are the same ages as my Maisy, Sam and Hadley, I am reminded of how precious my family is, and renewed in my commitment to ensuring a world without cancer. My kids also run in our annual 5K, and I am incredibly proud that my oldest daughter, Maisy, is a teen coach for our kids' running program, Team CMMD In Training. This running camp and educational program teaches over 100 kids each summer about running, what cancer is and how we can fight it together, and the importance of giving back.
What lessons/values are you learning through this mission?
Overwhelmingly, I am seeing Margaret Meade's famous words play out every day: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." The 1600 people who have officially joined our team and the hundreds of others who have run and fund-raised with us, are showing me that you can make a difference, no matter how uphill the climb ahead may seem. One foot in front of the other, you CAN make a difference.
What can your community do to support your mission?
Just as surely as cancer can strike any of us—and does—so too can anyone contribute to Team CMMD. We invite you to volunteer, donate, or nominate someone with cancer who needs our assistance at teamcmmd.org. If you are a runner, we invite you to run with us weekly or at our 5K events (details at teamcmmd.org); if you are a cyclist, swimmer, Zumba dancer, or participate in any other fitness activity, you'll find others on our team who organize those activities as well.
Anything else you would like West Chester Macaroni Kid to know/share?
At our core is the support of cancer patients and their families. If you know someone who is struggling financially in the wake of a cancer diagnosis, please nominate them on our website using the "Ask Us For Help" button. We look forward to making a difference in their life, and showing them that no one fights alone.
Know a local mom who is making a difference? E-mail jena@macaronikid.com and let us know and maybe they will be featured next!
Know a local mom who is making a difference? E-mail jena@macaronikid.com and let us know and maybe they will be featured next!
