March 7, 2019

"Some Things Are Worth The Fight"

Shannon Aldridge lost his daughter, Sahara, in 2007 after a battle with brain cancer. In the years since then, he's found solace in running and this year will run the Boston Marathon as a member of the St. Jude Heroes team, which raises money for cancer research.

Shannon Aldridge poses for a portrait Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019 in the gazebo at Kiwanis Park in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where they celebrated his daughter Sahara's 12th birthday party in 2006. The day after that party, he noticed her walking oddly and took her to the hospital where doctors found a brain tumor. Sahara died the following year. "This is like the last really good memory," Aldridge said of the space, which he visits often during training runs in the park. Aldridge will run the Boston Marathon in April to raise funds for cancer research as a member of the St. Jude Heroes team.

Shannon Aldridge holds a photo of his daughter, Sahara, at his Cape Girardeau, Missouri, home, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. Sahara died in 2007 at 13 after a battle with brain cancer.

Shannon Aldridge runs along the LaCroix trail in Cape Girardeau Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. "I went from a guy who couldn't run half a mile to a guy who's run 100 miles 3 times," he said. "That's my therapy, I guess you could say. Instead of taking a little blue pill or a little yellow pill to function in the world, I run."

Shannon Aldridge monitors a page featuring his fundraising link at his computer at home in Cape Girardeau Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. To be a part of the St. Jude Boston Marathon team, he agreed to raise $10,000 but is trying to raise $21,000 in total to pay homage to his daughter's basketball number, 21. At the time of this photo, he had raised more than $12,000.

Shannon Aldridge runs along the LaCroix trail in Cape Girardeau Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. Aldridge, who runs ultra-marathons, said he's not fast, but he knows how to keep going.

Shannon Aldridge runs along the LaCroix trail in Cape Girardeau Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. "We were running scared," he said, recalling the months after Sahara's diagnosis. "We didn't know what to do. A stranger just told you your daughter was going to die and there wasn't a damn thing you could do about it." He said he hopes the money he raises for cancer research will help spare other parents that grief in the future.

Shannon Aldridge rests after completing a workout run on the LaCroix trail in Cape Girardeau, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. To be part of the St. Jude Heroes Boston Marathon team, Aldridge agreed to raise at least $10,000 for cancer research. But to pay homage to his daughter and her preferred jersey number, 21, Aldridge said his goal is to instead raise $21,000. At the time of this photograph, he had raised more than $12,000.

Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!

Shannon Aldridge lost his daughter, Sahara, in 2007 after a battle with brain cancer. In the years since then, he's found solace in running and this year will run the Boston Marathon as a member of the St. Jude Heroes team, which raises money for cancer research.

Story Tags

Local News

Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:

For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.

Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!

Shopping

Links

Submission Forms

Sitemap Terms Privacy