On December 25th, 2023, my mother Crystal’s life changed forever. A dedicated nurse of 35 years at UCLA—most recently in Labor and Delivery at Ronald Reagan Hospital—she spent her career caring for others with compassion and strength. On Christmas day, our family found ourselves in the same hospital she had served for decades, learning of her diagnosis: a glioblastoma in her brain. Forcing her into early retirement and the fight of her life.

 

Through her strength, resilience, and the unwavering support of friends, family, and the incredible UCLA neurosurgery and oncology teams, my mother continues to fight every day. She finds joy in continuing her thrifting hobby and spending time with family.

 

This event is deeply meaningful to us. It’s an opportunity to celebrate her courage and perseverance, and to honor others who are battling or have lost their lives to brain cancer. Crystal has had this walk marked on her calendar for months and has been building her strength daily to take part in it.

 

We’re walking in gratitude—for her care team, for the community that surrounds us, and for the chance to share her story. We look forward to drawing inspiration from every person and story we encounter along the way.

 

If you would like to join us, help reach our donation goal, or simply show your support, we’d be honored to have you walk (or run) with Crystal's Crew!