Paul Whitaker
2nd June 2006, 03:52 PM (15:52)
Her dream
At 11, Kati Fisher set a goal to run the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. Although she won't be running Sunday, her father will, carrying ...
By Don Norcross
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
June 2, 2006
Eleven-year-old Kati Fisher could have asked for anything. A backstage sitdown with 'N Sync. Face-to-face time with her heartthrob, Leonardo DiCaprio. A day at Disney World, with all the ice cream she could stuff in her mouth.
But when the Make-A-Wish Foundation approached Kati, who was battling leukemia, at first she unselfishly said no, grant someone else's wish. When the foundation persisted, Kati said she wanted to come to San Diego for the 2001 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, to be with the Team-In-Training runners from the Annapolis, Md., area who had raised money to fight cancer.
When she watched the runners stream to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot finish line, Kati, weighing all of 50 pounds, turned to her father, Rick, and said, “Dad, I can do this.”
A runner or walker must be 16 to run a marathon for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. At Sunday's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, Kati would have been 16. After battling leukemia for more than three years, after 109 weeks of chemotherapy – shots, radiation, medication – Kati died on March 31, 2004. She was 14.
Come Sunday, Rick Fisher will be among the nearly 4,000 Team-In-Training participants wearing purple singlets, running and walking 26.2 miles from Balboa Park to MCRD. Fisher has been issued two bib numbers, two timing chips. He will be credited with two finishing times, one for himself, another for Kati.
“It means I'm helping her realize her dreams,” said Fisher, his voice cracking over the phone. “I won't stop till there's a cure. It's important for us to keep going because that's what she would have wanted. That's what should be done.”
From world champion figure skater Kimmie Meissner to renowned artist Yuroz to the Team-In-Training runners and walkers from the Annapolis region, Kati touched hundreds of people with her grace and dignity in her fight against cancer.
Team-In-Training runners are linked with people who have leukemia so they can put a face to the disease. The runners meet weekly for long runs in preparation for the marathon and Kati was a regular at those workouts. She baked cakes and cookies, handed out Gatorade, danced and cheered at stops along the way.
Amy Cruice remembers the doubt she faced one morning, wondering if she'd be able to complete that day's run. After taking a cup of Gatorade from Kati, Amy jogged on, then turned back to take in the scene.
Feeling weak, Kati was crawling back to her car.
“After that,” said Cruice, “how could I say I didn't feel good, that I didn't think I could do it? If she could get out of bed and cheer us on, I could certainly run for a few hours.”
Asked what comes to mind when she thinks about Kati, Missie West, another marathoner, said, “A petite, blond-haired young lady who had the most loving eyes, the most caring eyes, and a smile that would brighten the darkest night.”
Meissner lives in Bel Air, Md., near the Fishers. Meissner's father heard about Kati's plight and suggested that Kimmie give her a call. The teenagers talked a couple times on the phone.
“A lot of girl stuff,” said Meissner. “Boys, books, video games, movies, school.”
After a while, Meissner told her father, “I've gotta meet this girl.”
By then, Kati had suffered a relapse. Meissner visited her in the hospital, hopping in bed right beside Kati.
“She was always happy,” Meissner said, “I don't think I ever saw her sad.”
On her bedroom wall at home, Meissner kept a picture of Kati.
“She was my friend,” Meissner said. “She made me realize what's important in life.”
On their way from a Rock 'n' Roll news conference at the Convention Center, Kati asked the artist Yuroz to hold her hand.
“My God, I felt such a power from this child,” he said.
Kati mentioned how beautiful the sunlight felt, pointing out the vibrant colors in the sky, on cars, trees, on people's shirts.
“She looked at life in a totally different lens than I did,” Yuroz said. “In a beautiful sense, it was a reminder that everything around you is different if you take the time to basically look at them.”
Yuroz dedicated a Rock 'n' Roll Marathon painting to Kati, depicting a child holding on to a male runner's leg, a woman placing a crown of blue roses on the child's head.
Rick Fisher will remember his daughter for many things. One, was her unselfishness. When someone asked Kati what the toughest thing was about leukemia, she said, “To see another kid get a treatment. I can't stand to see someone else go through these things.”
More than once Kati served as runners' honored teammate for the Annapolis Region. When Rick asked why it was so important to her, Kati said, “You know, I'm going to beat this thing.”
About his daughter passing away before she could run a marathon, Rick said, “Some might think that's tragic. To many of us, in many ways, she did beat it. She never let it change her. She never let it dim her view. She loved life rather than hating the circumstance.”
At 11, Kati Fisher set a goal to run the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. Although she won't be running Sunday, her father will, carrying ...
By Don Norcross
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
June 2, 2006
Eleven-year-old Kati Fisher could have asked for anything. A backstage sitdown with 'N Sync. Face-to-face time with her heartthrob, Leonardo DiCaprio. A day at Disney World, with all the ice cream she could stuff in her mouth.
But when the Make-A-Wish Foundation approached Kati, who was battling leukemia, at first she unselfishly said no, grant someone else's wish. When the foundation persisted, Kati said she wanted to come to San Diego for the 2001 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, to be with the Team-In-Training runners from the Annapolis, Md., area who had raised money to fight cancer.
When she watched the runners stream to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot finish line, Kati, weighing all of 50 pounds, turned to her father, Rick, and said, “Dad, I can do this.”
A runner or walker must be 16 to run a marathon for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. At Sunday's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, Kati would have been 16. After battling leukemia for more than three years, after 109 weeks of chemotherapy – shots, radiation, medication – Kati died on March 31, 2004. She was 14.
Come Sunday, Rick Fisher will be among the nearly 4,000 Team-In-Training participants wearing purple singlets, running and walking 26.2 miles from Balboa Park to MCRD. Fisher has been issued two bib numbers, two timing chips. He will be credited with two finishing times, one for himself, another for Kati.
“It means I'm helping her realize her dreams,” said Fisher, his voice cracking over the phone. “I won't stop till there's a cure. It's important for us to keep going because that's what she would have wanted. That's what should be done.”
From world champion figure skater Kimmie Meissner to renowned artist Yuroz to the Team-In-Training runners and walkers from the Annapolis region, Kati touched hundreds of people with her grace and dignity in her fight against cancer.
Team-In-Training runners are linked with people who have leukemia so they can put a face to the disease. The runners meet weekly for long runs in preparation for the marathon and Kati was a regular at those workouts. She baked cakes and cookies, handed out Gatorade, danced and cheered at stops along the way.
Amy Cruice remembers the doubt she faced one morning, wondering if she'd be able to complete that day's run. After taking a cup of Gatorade from Kati, Amy jogged on, then turned back to take in the scene.
Feeling weak, Kati was crawling back to her car.
“After that,” said Cruice, “how could I say I didn't feel good, that I didn't think I could do it? If she could get out of bed and cheer us on, I could certainly run for a few hours.”
Asked what comes to mind when she thinks about Kati, Missie West, another marathoner, said, “A petite, blond-haired young lady who had the most loving eyes, the most caring eyes, and a smile that would brighten the darkest night.”
Meissner lives in Bel Air, Md., near the Fishers. Meissner's father heard about Kati's plight and suggested that Kimmie give her a call. The teenagers talked a couple times on the phone.
“A lot of girl stuff,” said Meissner. “Boys, books, video games, movies, school.”
After a while, Meissner told her father, “I've gotta meet this girl.”
By then, Kati had suffered a relapse. Meissner visited her in the hospital, hopping in bed right beside Kati.
“She was always happy,” Meissner said, “I don't think I ever saw her sad.”
On her bedroom wall at home, Meissner kept a picture of Kati.
“She was my friend,” Meissner said. “She made me realize what's important in life.”
On their way from a Rock 'n' Roll news conference at the Convention Center, Kati asked the artist Yuroz to hold her hand.
“My God, I felt such a power from this child,” he said.
Kati mentioned how beautiful the sunlight felt, pointing out the vibrant colors in the sky, on cars, trees, on people's shirts.
“She looked at life in a totally different lens than I did,” Yuroz said. “In a beautiful sense, it was a reminder that everything around you is different if you take the time to basically look at them.”
Yuroz dedicated a Rock 'n' Roll Marathon painting to Kati, depicting a child holding on to a male runner's leg, a woman placing a crown of blue roses on the child's head.
Rick Fisher will remember his daughter for many things. One, was her unselfishness. When someone asked Kati what the toughest thing was about leukemia, she said, “To see another kid get a treatment. I can't stand to see someone else go through these things.”
More than once Kati served as runners' honored teammate for the Annapolis Region. When Rick asked why it was so important to her, Kati said, “You know, I'm going to beat this thing.”
About his daughter passing away before she could run a marathon, Rick said, “Some might think that's tragic. To many of us, in many ways, she did beat it. She never let it change her. She never let it dim her view. She loved life rather than hating the circumstance.”