Elena Jakobson

Drum roll please!!!!! The final results are in for Elena's special event...with all of your love and support more $27,822.26 was raised to help her with her medical bills and even more importantly, she got to see your love in action, so the dividends in terms of supporting her heart and spirit...priceless! Thank you all for doing Anything for a Friend!

In August of 2014 Elena Taylor Jakobson participated in her third triathlon, making good times in all three events—swimming, running and biking.  In October, though, she began to be surprised that she’d lose her breath when climbing even a short flight of stairs, and her heart would pound wildly.

On Monday November 3, 2014, she was transferred to LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City for a lengthy and intensive treatment stay in isolation.  She spent the next 24 days in the hospital receiving high-dose chemotherapy.  After she returned home, she continued to receive chemotherapy on an outpatient basis, some of which required 4-5 day stays in the hospital.  In December, she had a mild stroke caused by a very important chemo drug she was receiving, resulting in the necessary cessation of this medicine.  Without this particular chemo drug, Elena's best option was a bone marrow transplant.  On March 19th, she received a Bone Marrow Transplant at LDS Hospital and was in the hospital for a month.  Although it was extremely difficult emotionally and physically, Elena pulled through like a champ and even engrafted early!  Her new bone marrow is producing blood that is perfectly strong and healthy!  She is currently recovering and trying to get her strength back while dealing with Graft-versus-host disease. 

Her strength and determination are not new, but are her long-standing character traits:  as a child she was committed to developing to the fullest any new skill, and did her best in all her schoolwork, piano lessons and horseback-riding classes.  As a teenager she decided to get involved in her high school’s sports programs, taught herself to play tennis, and played on the team for two seasons.  She’d never had official swimming lessons, but joined the swim team, learned all the strokes, and competed in the 100 Meter Butterfly after just one week of instruction.  Just one month after her wedding she graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science.  She’s climbed Half Dome in Yosemite National Park four times.  When she was six months pregnant with her second son, she hiked ten miles with her husband and three-year-old to and from Havasupai Falls in Arizona.  We have the video her husband took of her cradling her belly and jumping off a small waterfall into the turquoise waters below.

Elena’s two young sons are four years and one year old, and it is heart wrenching for her to be separated from them.  Hospital visiting hours are relaxed for leukemia patients in spite of isolation requirements, and Elena has asked that her children be brought to her for at least an hour every day.  She is a loving and devoted mother and wife, serves wholeheartedly and unreservedly in her church, and is determined to survive to a good old age as she has written, “to one day return the service and pay it all forward!  I guess I better live for a really long time, because it will take a life time to return the service that has been given to me.  I love you all!” (written by Elena's mom, Jill B. Taylor)

Check out this great video!!!! 

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About the Event:  "One Tough Cookie!"

Date: May 30th 2015

Time: 8am--12pm

Activities:

  • 5K run/walk (Online registration is now closed.  Same day registration will be available between 7 and 7:30 tomorrow morning!)
  • Breakfast
  • Silent Auction
  • Kid’s Corner
  • Balloon Launch

Location:

Veteran's Memorial Park
West Jordan, Utah 84088

5K Route below:

Start on the north side of the large pavilion (green flag)
Head east then counterclockwise halfway around the park then cross street
Run past rec center through parking lot then head west to 2200 W.
Follow 2200 W. to 7800 S. and continue 
Follow sidewalk into park then back to 7800 S.
Turn south on 1825 W.
Follow signs/volunteers to city hall then cross roundabout 
Continue through parking lot and behind courthouse
Run north on 1825 W. 
Continue to follow signs/volunteers
Run around inner circle clockwise 
Finish at large pavilion (same as the start)

 

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Organizing Committee Meeting:

We are currently forming the outstanding committee that will bring Elena's special event together.  If you would like to serve on Elena's committee please contact Katy at katyruth.did.it@gmail.com.

The next committee meeting will take place on Saturday, May 2nd @ 9 am at the church house on 1465 west Bristol Ridge Road.

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What would you do for a friend?

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