Station 26 Raising Money for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
During the month of April, Station 26 Brewing Co. will be participating in a fundraising effort for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on behalf of Ansley Tripp, a member of the Station 26 extended family and a cancer survivor. Ansley is the girlfriend of one of our wholesale delivery drivers, Nick Hulbert.
Ansley is up for the Woman of the Year award from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Rocky Mountain Chapter. She is engaging in a weeks-long fundraising effort as part of that nomination and personal experience with blood cancer.
We will be offering customers the opportunity to donate $1, $2, or any dollar amount they are comfortable with upon checkout in our taproom when they visit. Alternatively, you can visit this website to help Ansley in her campaign: http://pages.mwoy.org/rm/denver18/atripp.
In the last week of the month, we will be hosting an event at the brewery with live music, food from Order 26 Food Truck, and a full beer list to raise money for Ansley and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. A particular percentage of the day’s sales will be donated by Station 26. Stay tuned for more details about that event.
We hope you all will consider helping us in this endeavor.
Here is Ansley’s story:
My cancer journey began in March of 2015. Although this was when I was officially diagnosed, the process of finding out went on long before. I was 20 years old and a Junior at The University of Georgia. At the time, I was suffering from chronic fatigue, headaches, and neck pain. I had seen the doctor a few times for my symptoms, but most visits I was deemed an overworked college kid. Although I was going to school as a full time student, working a part time job, and raising a puppy, I knew that something was seriously wrong. My next doctor's appointment, my Epstein Barr, tested extremely high. Again, I did not think this was the final answer. Things still weren't adding up. I had lost about 45 lbs and my intuition was telling me otherwise. At this point, I asked to get a scan of my neck done. I was in too much pain and needed more answers.
The scan came back showing abnormally large lymph nodes in my left collarbone area. A few scans and biopsies later, we discovered that I had stage 2B Hodgkins Lymphoma. I left college and proceeded to go through six months of ABVD Chemotherapy. We decided against radiation, as my breasts, thyroid, and heart would have all been radiated, potentially causing more problems down the line. The treatment was tough, but I got through it with a positive mindset and outlook on the whole situation. This is part of my path, and I couldn't be more grateful for it.
Now, this is the part where most people will say "You are so strong. I can't imagine going through what you've gone through.” To that I typically say, I never would have imagined handling this the way that I have either. When life hits you in unexpected ways, you gain a new perspective, and I quickly learned that what I was going through was nowhere near the extremes that many people endure with this awful disease. In my case, I took it day by day and personally grew more than I could have ever imagined. I am lucky enough to still be in remission almost 3 years later. I am back in school at a new university, The University of Colorado Denver, and am on my way to finishing my bachelors of science and going to medical school.
The strength and confidence I have gained is pushing me to new heights and has set me up for my next chapter. I am honored to now be in a position of giving back. I have been nominated for Woman of the Year by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Rocky Mountain Chapter. I will harness those same positive aspects that I relied on throughout my treatment to support the funding and research of blood cancers. What I love about this research is that its findings have proven to not only be crucial for blood cancers, but for all types of cancers and other horrible diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and diabetes. With all being said and done, I am grateful to live my life with a broadened perspective, acknowledging that this is my journey. I will continue it with purpose, gratitude, and passion no matter what life throws at me next.