Who I Run For: Mike & Sheryl McKinney

In my maiden journey, I learned that the fight against cancer stretches far beyond me and my family.  So many people shared with me their personal stories of the fights they were in, had fought, or whom they remembered for their fight.  One story that I’m honored to share with you is that of Mike McKinney, and his wife Sheryl.  

My own connection this story originates with Mike, who was an amazing leader I had the privilege to work with at Cox.  He was well respected by all not only for his ability to produce results, but the way he focused on interpersonal relationships.  I enjoyed every opportunity I had to work with him, and thru that relationship, I got to learn more about the fight against cancer faced by his wife, Sheryl.

Sheryl, Mike’s wife for 31 years, and son to Connor and Carson, was a true people person.  Nurturing, extroverted, and focused on making others feel good, she always brought a smiling face and positive attitude to any situation.  She and Mike grew up 10 minutes apart in neighboring towns in Michigan, and met through Sheryl’s sister Kathy.  They instantaneously found connections through their fathers’ common journey to migrate from the South to Detroit as part of the auto boom.  And the day they had their first date, got engaged, and got married, were all the same – July 12^th of 1984, 1985, and 1986 respectively.

“She had such a big job, ensuring that the home, affiliation with our school, and our faith, all ran smoothly”, Mike told me.  “She was always the realist, making sure that I didn’t become too much a dreamer for the practical realities that needed to be addressed.  Along with her what she did to run the home and her bring the best out of her friends, she also donated her time generously to the community, particularly to Wings of Mercy on behalf of Atlanta’s homeless and uninsured population.”  Wings of Mercy, an organization that coordinates fourteen different locations and mix of employed and volunteer physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, dental hygienists, optometrists, registered nurses and medical assistants, aids over 12,000 individuals per year, most who do not have health insurance.

Unfortunately, cancer ran in Sheryl’s broader family.  Her sister, Kathy, passed in 2008 as a result of three different types of cancer.  And in July 2016, Sheryl was diagnosed with liposarcoma, a form of sarcoma that originates in fat cells.  Sarcoma is one of the rarer types of cancer in adults – it compromises about 1% of all adult cancer diagnoses – but one of the more diagnosed types with children.  Unlike most cancers types which are isolated to a particular region of the body, sarcoma can appear anywhere.  

Sarcoma is often hard to identify and diagnose, and by the time it is diagnosed, it has often grown so large that treatment options are limited.  According to the site curesarcoma.org, about 50% of all sarcoma cases are untreatable with common techniques such as surgery and chemotherapy.  It’s most likely to be found in the connective tissue between limbs, subtyped soft tissue sarcoma.

That did not stop Sheryl and Mike from jointly trying to fight against sarcoma.  They visited many centers of research, including the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory St. Joseph’s and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  They were looking for action-oriented partners who would help Sheryl face sarcoma head on.  In short, they were looking for the best.  Through their efforts, they found outstanding specialists and surgical oncologists that provided them counsel, including Monica Berthgnolli from Dana-Farber and  Gina D’Amato with Georgia Cancer Specialist.  Through their advice, they elected to perform surgery to remove as much of the sarcoma as they could without affecting good tissue.  Unfortunately, once the liposarcoma metastasized to the lungs, it could not be controlled, and eventually Sheryl passed as a result.

While I never had the honor of being able to meet Sheryl directly, I saw how it affected Mike first hand.  I remember stopping into his office just after I had completed the 2017 campaign, fully expecting us to talk about the changes cutting across our professional environment at that time.  Instead, we spent most of the time talking about Sheryl, about her recent diagnosis and health indicators and the arduous journey ahead.  I remember speaking to a man who had faith, but who was also wary from so many challenges faced before.  I remember thinking to myself if there was anything that came from my 2017 campaign, I hoped it would help them.

Today, Mike and his sons handle this new reality as best as they can, but do so with a sense of strong faith.  Mike and his youngest son, Carson, visit her site every day to talk with her.  Mike told me, “She is still with us every single day.  And one day, we will all see each other and be together again.  I look forward not only to what remains of my life here on Earth, but to that day where I will see her again.”  With a strong family support system, including their parents, brother-in-law, aunts, nieces, and close friends, Sheryl’s spirit remains alive and strong today, and will continue to do so into the future.

So why, amongst others, do I want to run on behalf of Mike and Sheryl?  Obviously, their story of love, faith, and impact to others is truly impactful to all of us.  But for me personally, it’s because Mike, and thru him Sheryl, represent the true faces of why we are fighting against cancer.  Whether it’s the people affected – or the people supporting the affected – cancer touches us all, and in particular, those good people who mean the most to us.  I run because Mike and Sheryl represent that, not only to each other and to the extended family they built, but to us all.  I’m honored that when I asked Mike if I could run on behalf of Sheryl, he said absolutely.  And I do so because of their spirit that permeates us all, we will see a world without cancer. 

In honor of Sheryl, the Raven family is pleased to announce that we will match donations made to my Dana-Farber fundraising efforts during the month of November on a dollar-for-dollar basis to Sarcoma Foundation of America on behalf of our family’s charitable trust, up to a grand total of $2,500.  I hope that you will take this opportunity to not only give to a worthwhile cause, but on behalf of great people who deserve our support.

Mike, Connor, and Carson – God bless.