Local family gets involved in charity event

Half of a mile into the Lance Armstrong Foundation Livestrong Challenge in Philadelphia on Aug. 23, the shin splints started in Sydney Weadock's legs.

Although the splints were painful, the seventh-grader at Weaver Middle School in Hilliard refused to give up.

"I kind of ignored it," Sydney said. "People with cancer may not be feeling well, but they can't really quit."

Her older sister, Whitney Weadock, adopted the same type of attitude.

The sophomore at Davidson High School did not train for the event, according to their mother, Michelle Weadock.

"She wanted to walk so badly, instead of running, but she decided 'If grandpa puts up with what he does, I can run for an hour,'" Michelle said. "She did not walk a step."

Michelle's father, Mike Langhals of Ottoville in Putnam County, was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer five years ago in December.

The colon cancer was removed with chemotherapy provided by Dr. Ahmed Ghany and his staff at The Ohio State University Medical Center East and surgery by Dr. David Geller at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

"After surgery, he was free of growing cancer," said Michelle.

They did not realize that the cancer had already moved to the liver.

More recently, Michelle said, microscopic spots have been detected on his lungs, but the cancer is being kept at bay with chemotherapy.

Her father's fight prompted Michelle to become a delegate for the Livestrong Summit, where she learned to be an advocate, and a Livestrong Army leader.

"This challenge was one of the things I wanted to do," she said.

Last December, when they began making plans for the challenge, she said, they had a contingent of family members planning to make the trek to Philadelphia, including her husband and father.

"If you knew me, you would know I am not the kind who runs, but I always said I was going to run a 5K by the time I was 40. I was a couple years late, because I am 42, but I really wanted to do this," said Michelle. "Dad said 'If you are going to run, I am going to be there to see it."

A need for chemotherapy treatments made it impossible for Michelle's father to make the journey, but she and her daughters flew with her mother Diane to the challenge.

When they had to wake up and be on the road from the hotel to the race five miles away by 5 a.m., Michelle said they were complaining at first. Then she thought about what her father goes through every day.

Despite the cancer, he farms several hundred acres and never missed work when he was working unless it was for chemotherapy or surgery.

Every other Sunday, Michelle said, her parents travel from Ottoville to her home in Hilliard, where they spend the night before her father has to go to OSU on Monday to have his chemo-therapy.

One day during the weekend, Michelle said, she was waiting in a sitting area for her mother and daughters.

"My kids and mom were laughing," she said. "Showing support for everything is building the family bond tighter."

Team Langhals wore T-shirts -- designed by Hilliard resident Jeff Meyers and produced by Distributing/Friday's Creations -- during the race and gave them to people who donated a specific amount to the fundraiser.

"It was neat for dad to see people wearing the shirts," Michelle said, explaining that the shirts featured the Livestrong motto and her father's initials.

The cousins wanted one of the shirts when they saw Whitney and Sydney wearing them and it was one of the many things that inspired the family to run.

"Even my mom ran," said Michelle. "After the first mile, she said she couldn't feel anything anyway."

Whitney, who had a time of 28:05, could not wait to share the details with her friends and grandfather.

"I couldn't believe the 100-mile bikers and that didn't even include the 50- and 20-mile bikers," she said. "It was crazy."

Sydney said they are hoping to go again next year.

Team Langhals raised $3,220. The walkers, runners and bicyclists raised a total of $3.2-million for the Philadelphia Challenge.

Michelle said the first person to donate to their team was Dr. Geller. Seeing the contributions, she said, was humbling for her father.

catwogan@yahoo.com