I'm running in memory of Lara Meiojas.
This October, I’m joining Lara’s Little Birds for the L.A. Cancer Challenge to raise money for pancreatic cancer research—a cause that squats in my soul, rent-free, like an ache that never quite packs its bags.
Lara was the kind of woman who made people feel seen. Radiant. Sharp. Funny in that dry, devastating way. Strong, right to the bone. She was my partner… my candle in the gloom. I carry her with me—not as weight, but as weather. And events like this let me shape the storm into something living. Something that blooms. Something that gives her death meaning. Just like she asked me to do.
Her sister’s kept the flock flying. Every year, she pours her heart, her stubborn grace, and her guts into Lara’s Little Birds. This year, the team even made it into the event’s promo photo—feather boas and all, smiling through the ache.
I’m asking for your support. Whether it’s a donation—Lara had a soft spot for the number 8—joining our team, or simply sharing this page, it all matters. Every dollar goes to the Hirshberg Foundation to fund better treatments, support patients, and push us closer to a cure.
This is for Lara. And for every other family who’s faced down the immovable force of pancreatic cancer, a disease with a five-year survival rate still hovering at just 13%. Some, like Lara, are gone within six months of their diagnosis.
Help me ease someone else’s heartbreak. If we can’t stop the storm, we can at least offer a little shelter.
