Shortly after the funeral Mass and before the inurnment of the ashes of Patrick Concepcion four months ago, Menchu Concepcion tenderly caressed the urn of her son. His passing was sudden, unexpected. Her tears were terse. Her grief, silent and dignified. The love of a mother was felt. So was her undeniable pain.
Patrick, a marathon advocate who ran a total of 127,811.89 kilometers, which is equivalent to running three times around the world, was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas in June 2021. Even with cancer, he still ran. After a year of treatment and chemotherapy, he was cleared of cancer. And two days before his passing, his youngest brother and SMEG Philippines president Ton Concepcion said, Patrick was able to run 14.5 kilometers.
His mother said the cause of his death “was due to a blood clot that lodged in one of the major arteries, that finally led to sepsis.”
“With the passing on of my son Patrick, I now remember what my mother used to say, ‘The most painful feeling a mother could have is the loss of a child,’” she said in her eulogy.
But strength is a stubborn resident in Menchu’s fiber — she will not allow her grief to be meaningless. On Patrick’s 60th birth anniversary, Menchu and her family are launching today, March 17, “RunningShield,” a 16-km. virtual run to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer.
“We invite everyone to join the 16-km. virtual run from March 1 to 31. Walk or run 16 kilometers anytime, anywhere, in one go or over 15 days. Become healthier, bond with friends, family and colleagues and make the world a better place all at the same time! Sign up for free at www.TheRunningShieldRun.com,” said Ton.
He added Patrick called himself “the running shield” because running was his “shield” to protect him from the stresses of life. “He truly believed that you can become the best version of yourself through running.”
Ton and Patrick founded and organized the Condura Skyway Marathon, the biggest full marathon and most-awaited running event in the Philippines, from 2008 to 2016. In the eight years the marathon was held, 16,000 people from all over the country joined the event. Beneficiaries of the marathon included the Tubbataha Reefs, the dolphins of Bohol, the mangroves of Zamboanga de Sibugay, the whale sharks of Donsol, the SAF 44, Hero Foundation and the Cetacean center in Dumaguete.
“Patrick always wanted to have a repeat of the Condura Skyway Marathon, which was the premier running event in the Philippines that he and I were founders of. Now I am planning a run without him and it makes me feel very sad. It has only been four months since Patrick passed away and we are still mourning. We only planned the race in earnest a month ago. We fell we need to have this run to celebrate his life and his legacy,” Ton said.
RunningShield is of paramount importance to a mother whose two sons had pancreatic cancer.
“My sons Robie and Patrick both had cancer of the pancreas. Robie was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas 10 years ago, and I thank the good Lord for healing Robie of the cancer and he is still with us. Patrick was also cleared of the cancer.
“Patrick would have turned 60 years old today, March 17. This is a milestone. We would like to continue Patrick’s legacy,” Menchu said.
In my interview with Patrick at the height of his battle with the Big C, he told me that he was in Canada in 1980 watching the Vancouver International Marathon on TV and was totally glued to the event. The very next day, May 30, 1980, he gave running a try. He was 17 then and weighed 220 lbs. “I have never stopped running since then. Not even cancer can stop me from running,” he said.
For some reason, Ton said, pancreatic cancer is becoming more common. “Personally, I have known several people who have been afflicted by it. And yet there is so little awareness about the dreaded disease. There isn’t even a website in the Philippines that has a single source of information on pancreatic cancer.”
Ton added the goal of the RunningShield Run is to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer in the Philippines and around the world. The run’s beneficiary is the Philippine College of Surgeons Cancer Committee Foundation. The Concepcions are working closely with Dr. Catherine The, who is the treasurer and director of the foundation. They intend to have a single source of information and support for pancreatic cancer in the Philippines in order to help those afflicted by the disease.
Menchu elaborated that the goal of RunningShield Run “is first to inspire and encourage people to run, to love running, because running can be a shield against the stresses of life.”
“Second is to raise the awareness on pancreatic cancer, the importance of early detection, timely diagnosis, and treatment… The donations to The Philippine College of Surgeons Cancer Commission Foundation will fund this purpose,” she said.
Menchu added, “Cancer is a very expensive disease to cure. Pancreatic cancer is a very aggressive and deadly type of cancer. Lately, there have been many incidents that we hear of people, and some of them are our friends, who died of cancer of the pancreas. Imagine, how many people, who cannot afford the high cost, are just left to suffer and die. This is the purpose of the RunningShield fund.”
Ton added, “RunningShield finishers get a chance to win awesome raffle prizes from Condura and SMEG. Help us run 40,075 kilometers once around the world. Patrick ran three times around the world. We can all run one time around the world to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer.”
Menchu and her family are resolute in their will to celebrate the life of Patrick and raise awareness about pancreatic cancer.
“Patrick left us almost 4 1/2 months ago. I have accepted the loss and that he is gone forever, but I still feel his presence very much. Perhaps it is because I was not by his bedside when he breathed his last, so I always think of him as still so full of life, so active, and always loving, and ever so thoughtful.” Menchu was in San Francisco, California at the time.
For Patrick, the Concepcions will run; and with them, they enjoin everyone to do a virtual run, too, for the cause. *
(To join the RunningShield Run, please log on
to www.TheRunningShieldRun.com.)