Helene Neville began a 1,600 mile run from Canada to Mexico on May 1. She carries with her the ashes of her recently deceased brother, the memory of her mother and the mission to send a message to the healthcare community.

Neville was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1991. She was told her condition was fatal but after three brain surgeries, her response was to start running. She’s participated in multiple marathons and ran from coast to coast in 2010.  Though the Hodgkin’s is in remission, she’s currently living with T-cell lymphoma and doesn’t let it slow her down.

“I never told anybody how I really felt because I didn’t focus on doom and gloom, I wanted to focus on being well … I wanted my sons to see me doing something, I was trying to create positive memories for them,” she said.

She believes nurses and healthcare professionals should lead by example. She said that if she can do it, then so can many of her contemporaries.

Neville was scheduled to run through Buckley on Monday and expects to reach the international border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico in mid-June.

To learn more about Neville’s journey and her work as an inspirational speaker visit her website at oneontherun.com. She is accepting donations for St. Francis de Sales Grammar School, the inner-city school in Philadelphia where her mother attended.