Steps to Marrow 4 (2024 Walk of Gratitude)

Wed June 26th

To the Finish Line...

We were all up early preparing for the walk and for Ramona and Melinda's departure for Canada's Vancouver Island.

Ramona and Melinda drove over to Matthews Beach Park with us to say goodbye as we began the last 3.2 miles to Seattle Children's Hospital. Walking with me were: my daughter, Issa, my grandson, Brant, my granddaughter, Jada, and her friend, Serenity. Brant gave us directions using Google Maps. He also recorded our walk by taking pictures along the way.

On a street corner, a block away from the hospital, we were greeted by Ashley Speller, Senior Communications Specialist, PR Marketing & Communications, Seattle Children's Hospital and her assistant, Rose.

Ashley took care of all the arrangements for the final event celebration at SCH.

Right behind Ashley and Rose were firefighters from Seattle Fire Department, Station 38. They had arrived in their bright red engine with their lights flashing in celebration of my successful walk!

I am grateful to all the firefighters during the Steps To-Marrow IV walk across Washington state, as well as all their support on my walks across the USA and Europe!!  Their generous time and efforts on my behalf were merely a reflection of their day to day commitment of serving their communities and saving lives.

As we approached the River Entrance to the hospital, we were greeted enthusiastically by nurses, staff, and security!  I am humbled by healthcare workers and ancillary services whose dedication, in hospitals everywhere, give professional, compassionate care. Workers like these, saved my Jada's life.

Once we went through security to enter the hospital, we met Sarah Rose, the Community Engagement Representative from NMDP, our National Registry. With her were four volunteers and a table full of everything necessary to enroll stem cell donors by swabbing their cheeks with a Q - Tip, to provide a tissue sample that may be the match  for a future life saving donation!

We express our gratitude to NMDP who in collaboration with the DKMS, the German Registry, coordinated the efforts to save Jada. Finding Torsten Huber in Germany was a miraculous match to our baby girl!!

During the afternoon, we shared the message of becoming a donor with hospital staff and visitors in the hospital. My daughter, Issa, was able to share Jada's story and connect with other parents who are facing the same fear and battle she faced years ago.

Issa's connection to these parents was a moving experience. The parents' expression of gratitude for the ongoing work of so many, striving to save lives, possibly the life of their own child was touching and meaningful. The witness of the exchanges touched my heart in ways I can't express.

We left the hospital, expressing deep gratitude to all who made today's event at Seattle's Children's Hospital such a grand ending to the walk!

I said goodbye to my precious family, as they headed home to Spokane. I walked to Pecado Bueno Restaurant on Fremont to enjoy dinner and watch the CBS Nightly News with Norah O'Donnell, and the airing of the Heart of America segment, highlighting Steps To-Marrow IV!

It was so fun and gratifying to hear from friends, who watch this program nightly, and were surprised to see an OLD friend on national news!

My wish at the conclusion of 334 miles crossing Washington, is for those facing a medical crisis, that fear will vanish and hope will be restored!

Please continue to watch for important information about the ongoing work of the Jada Bascom Foundation and our upcoming Steps To-Marrow V, 2025!!!

Text Jada to 61474. Save a Life!

Tuesday June 25th

I finished all but 3.1 miles of my walk yesterday so today is dedicated to making final arrangements for the walk into Seattle Children's Hospital and getting some rest.

Melinda and I said goodbye to the Moores and shared our gratitude for their generous hospitality. We then drove to the airport to pickup Ramona. Here is her recounting of our day.

"...When I flew into Phx last week, the baggage took FOREVER to show up at the baggage claim. I was getting annoyed, impatient, and cranky. I reminded myself to calm down and to be reasonable. Shortly after, the bags started coming, and guess whose bag was the first down the chute?  Yep!  Mine!  I was so happy. Good things come to those who wait!  That has never EVER happened to me before! Fast forward to today’s flight. Bags late, again. But, Jeana met me at the baggage claim so waiting together wasn’t too hard!!  Poor Lindy drove around the airport 3 times!!  But, we are together again!

We drove back over to be near Jeana’s route for her final walk tmrw am from Matthew’s Beach Park for a motel!  Success!  Two rooms with two queens right next to each other!  We ordered Mexican to be delivered by door dash for a late lunch, got caught up with one another and rested. Issa, Jeana’s daughter, and her two kids, Jada and Brant, and a friend, Serenity joined the Steps To-Marrow IV journey!  We walked to a Hamburger joint called, Uneeda Burger,  had a great meal, and walked back together. We enjoyed the flowers along our path and seeing a motorcycle brigade from an over street pedestrian bridge!

We made it an early night, as we would be up at 6 am!"

I will just add that I was so excited to see my daughter and grandchildren. I would have liked to have my son, Nicholas, with me too. He walked the final 3 miles with me in New York City at the end of the 1st Steps To-Marrow walk but he was not able to make it this time. I am grateful to my children and I am well pleased to walk life's journey with them.

Monday June 24

This turned out to be the next to the last walk of Steps To-Marrow 4. I applied my 6.2 miles from yesterday in Kirkland to the route into Woodinville. It put me on Woodinville Road near the Wine Valley Siding Supply. Melinda dropped me off and headed back to the Motel 6 to pack up the car and be out of the room by the requisite 11:00 am departure time.

I didn't have to walk far to realize the drop off point wasn't going to work due to road construction. So I did a quick google maps search and found a lovely trail .6 miles to the east. I walked back to the Sammamish River Trail and then walked the .6 miles west again, this time on the trail. You might think that I would be upset about walking an extra 1.2 miles at the beginning of the day but actually it was perfect. It made up for the .8 miles I still needed to walk, first, for the .4 miles left from when I started at the wrong turnout and, second, for the .4 I missed due to the construction detour on the way to Duvall. I ended up with .4 miles extra just because. 😊

It was a great day for a walk. The weather was cool with overcast skies but no rain. The route first took me along the Sammamish River trail, then a small bit of street walking and finishing on the Burke-Gilman trail which started on the east side of Lake Washington and went all the way down the west side of the lake to Matthews Beach Park.

There were lots of cyclists, joggers and walkers going up and down the path. Many of the folks I met along the way greeted me with a wave or a smile. As I have walked these pathways through different towns and cities I have run into dogs with their person. And each time following the encounter I have tears in my eyes filled with an abundance of love.

When the pathway gave way to City streets I stopped at Starbucks to use the restroom. I received a very warm welcome the manager gave me a cup of coffee and was excited about sharing information about joining NMDP. She was also excited about the end of the walk at Seattle Children's Hospital coming up so soon.

I met Melinda when I arrived at Matthews Beach Park. I thought that I would need to walk a few miles on Tuesday but the walk went so smoothly I finished a day early.  We drove over to our niece, Amelia's, home. It was a short but beautiful visit with Amelia and her family. Amelia prepared a delicious pasta meal and we enjoyed each other's company so much I didn't want the night to end. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.  I was so tired I didn't  even get under the covers.

Sunday June 23

I was up late into the night making notes for my blogs and finishing other Steps To-Marrow 4 work. So when the alarm went off at 6 am I expected to be tired but to my surprise I woke up bright and chipper and ready for an early morning walk.

I started down 124th street, after 1.3 miles I was happy to find another lovely little walking, jogging, biking path. I walked the path and still needed a mile so I walked .4 miles past the whiskey distillery turned around and walked back. In the end I had walked 6.2 miles to add to my route between Duvall and Woodinville. Doing my walk in Kirkland was a gift to my sister, Melinda. So she could sleep in a bit and not worry about me on a highway with no shoulders.

When I got back to the Motel 6 I calculated the starting point in Woodinville for the next morning. Melinda had kindly done all of the laundry. Which meant clean clothes for the movies! There was a showing of a film that is of special interest to the Deaf community titled "Jesus." The film is all in ASL, American Sign Language, with captions for hearing folks.

We drove to the Westfield Southcenter mall where the AMC Theater was showing the film.  As the time for the movie approached we saw Deaf folks, excitedly greeting each other and gathering in groups waiting for friends and family members to join them. Once we were in the theater I could feel an eager anticipation as the audience waited through the ads and trailers for the start of this historic film.

It was powerful and beautiful to see a film in ASL. It made me think of what it must have been like on Martha's Vineyard during the 200 years that they had a bilingual society. Deaf and hearing folks communicating freely without boundaries.

When the film was over Melinda met a woman who graduated 3 or 4 years earlier than she did from Riverside School for the Deaf in southern California. As I watched her tell the story of the Steps To-Marrow 4 Walk and Jada, and about the importance of enrolling a diverse set of potential stem cell and bone marrow donors I was very moved. I told her later I would like her to do a video in ASL for the Jada Bascom Foundation. I hope we will be able to do that when I finish the Steps To-Marrow 4 walk.

It was a special afternoon with my sister, Melinda. At my age I don't take these moments for granted. The blessings in my life are abundant.

Saturday June 22

Happy 50th birthday to Sarah, my niece.

Melinda and I were up early and ready to go just after 8 am. Melinda planned on dropping me off where she picked me up yesterday. But remember the road closure? It was still closed this morning. So off we drove following the detour signs. The detour took us way out of the way but we eventually ended up in Duvall. Then we headed north tracing 203 back to the road closure. The road block came .4 miles short of where I was supposed to be dropped off. So I am adding .4 miles to the .4 miles I still need to make up for missing the correct turn out. 😊 That will be easy to do before I finish on June 26th.  Boy, was I grateful that I did the walk yesterday afternoon from Monroe down hwy 203! If I hadn't done that the road closure could have added a day and a half to my walking schedule.

I started my walk very happy to be heading into Duvall and Melinda went back to the Monroe Motel to get our gear and check out by 11 am.

Because of the road closure most of the drivers on the road early Saturday morning were local folks. They did not race up and down the highway. They were satisfied with doing the speed limit and they were very friendly. They waved and encouraged me with gentle honks of their horns.

The morning passed very quickly and by nearly 11 am I was walking across the bridge headed toward Woodinville, on Woodinville Duvall Road. I was just about off of the bridge when I heard a honk. I looked up and saw Melinda crossing the bridge. So I turned myself around and walked right back over the bridge. I found Melinda waiting for me at the bottom of the bridge. She had finished early and decided to come find me.

We stopped for a coffee and a hot chocolate. And I had an egg sandwich. I need that protein! Then Melinda suggested that we take a look at the town. We discovered that they don't have a motel in Duvall so we knew we would have to look west for our sleeping arrangements.  We had fun just walking through town. We even did some window shopping. I haven't done anything like that on my whole journey.

We walked down toward a little craft show and after looking around Melinda suggested that we take a little walk along the path by the river. This pathway goes all the way to North Bend some 25 miles south. We didn't walk that far but we did do a total of 5.4 miles. I found out that Melinda had an ulterior motive. She was worried about me walking on Woodinville Duvall Road, as it leaves Duvall, because there isn't a safe shoulder for walking. So I applied the 5.4 miles to the days route and have 4.6 to finish to enter Woodinville officially. It really was a pleasant walk with the joggers, cyclist and other folks out for a walk on a muggy but beautiful Saturday afternoon.

I am sorry to say that our spontaneous decision to walk down the lovely pathway did cause Melinda some foot pain because she was wearing sandals. Luckily, I had an extra pair of socks to share. That made the walking bearable until we got back the car.

We were not able to find a hotel in Woodinville so we drove south to Kirkland where we found a room at a Motel 6 for the night. We were both so tired that we didn't even want to go out to get anything to eat.

Friday June 21

Today I walked from just outside of Sultan to Monroe. Melinda did not have to come out to the road to get me I walked right to the Monroe Motel.

It was just a three hour morning walk so after a rest and a small lunch (I find I do better walking if I am not too full. So I find myself eating light before I walk) I continued my walk out of Monroe and on my way to Duvall. I left Hwy 2 behind for the first time since Airway Heights! I turned south on Hwy 203.

I walked for another three hours and made it halfway to Duvall. As I was walking, I passed a sign that said there would be road closures at 9:30 on June 21. Melinda and I were glad that we made it through before they closed the road.

We went to dinner at Tres Marias Mexican restaurant in Monroe. The fun part of that story is that Melinda and I were signing as we entered the restaurant. A woman from another table waved to get our attention and let Melinda know that she was Deaf. We had a nice exchange. She is from Gold Bar and was very interested in the walk. I was able to share the Jada Bascom Foundation QR code and information about how to join NMDP by texting Jada to 61474!

Thursday June 20

I was up and ready to go by 8:30. My route started right outside the Stevens Pass Motel room door. I was headed to Sultan. I hoped to get a few miles past Sultan before Melinda came to pick me up between 3 and 4 pm.

One mile before you get to Sultan you arrive in Start Up. I stopped at a little fresh market called Startup Roots to see if I could use the restroom. When I say fresh, I mean fresh. They sell eggs and you walk by the chicken coops on the way to the store's front door!

They didn't have a restroom at the business location but kindly let me use the restroom in their home which was right next door. The woman who helped me got very excited when I told her about the Steps To-Marrow 4 Walk and our goal of enrolling potential stem cell and bone marrow donors. She said that a woman who lives just across the highway made a PBSC, Peripheral Blood Stem Cell, donation recently. She said she would stop by and tell her about the walk as soon as she was finished with work. She felt that the woman who was a stem cell donor would be very excited to follow the Steps To-Marrow 4 Walk.

I just love it when my walks bring me into contact with recipients or their relatives and/or heroes who have donated their cells to save the life of a family member or a stranger. Just like Torsten did when he gave his cells to a stranger and saved our Jada's life!

The further down the mountain I go the more congested the traffic becomes and the larger the towns become. Soon I will be in the city.

Melinda dropped Mona at Sea-Tac airport, took her car for a maintenance appointment and found me on the road just outside of Sultan. They took care of her car appointment earlier than expected so she reached me earlier than I had expected. When she texted to say she was leaving Monroe to come get me. I just stayed put because I was in a large pullout which would make it easy for her to pick me up.

We found a very nice motel in Monroe called the Monroe Motel. 😊 Melinda treated me to dinner at IHOP and had an enjoyable evening together.

At our age it is important to grab each opportunity that we have to be together. I asked Mona and Melinda to follow me over the mountain so that I would be safe and they both stepped forward to say simply, "How can I help?" They have paid for gas, food and motels all along the way since they joined me in Wenatchee. It really is a huge gift to me and to the mission of the Jada Bascom Foundation to save lives by enrolling potential donors. I am blessed with the most amazing sisters. We really do enjoy being together. My sisters are heaven-sent.

I missed a story from a day and a half ago that I felt was important to share. Our first night in Gold Bar Mona and I walked over to Maggy's Family Mexican Restaurant. After we had ordered and while we were waiting the gentleman behind the counter asked how our day was. Mona pushed me forward and told me to tell him. I said, "It was truly a great day." And then I explained about the interview with the CBS Nightly News producer, Austin. And that led into sharing about the Steps To-Marrow 4 Walk, Jada's story and how to join NMDP. When the food was ready he handed the bag to Mona but would not accept any payment. The staff all came out to greet us and wish us luck on our continued journey.

Wednesday June 19

Mona is flying to Phoenix for her daughter's 50th birthday celebration. So she and Melinda will drive to a hotel near Sea-Tac airport so she can catch her flight tomorrow morning. They dropped me off this morning on my route so I can continue my walk into Gold Bar. I only have about 6.5 miles to the Stevens Pass Motel. Mona and Melinda paid for the room in advance so I would have a place to sleep while they are gone. They also left me with plenty of food and water. I am all set.

I had a good walk again today; no knee pain, no foot pain.

As I entered Gold Bar I passed by the Sky Valley Fire - Station 54. They let me use their restroom and took a picture of the JBF QR code so they can invite folks to join the registry.

I spoke with my daughter, Issa. She is trying to make arrangements to bring my granddaughter, Jada, and my grandson, Brant, to Seattle Children's Hospital for the final day of the Steps To-Marrow 4 Walk on Wednesday June 26. It would be great to have them with me when I finish my walk!

Issa, her husband, Kyle, and a little 2 1/2 year old Jada were with me when I finished the first Steps To-Marrow walk in New York City in January of 2011. They were joined by other family members and friends as well as dear Torsten Huber, Jada's bone marrow donor. It was a beautiful first meeting between the Bascom Family and Jada's life-saving donor, Torsten. He is our hero forever and always! Jada calls him her blood-brother. Torsten calls Jada his genetic twin. However, you say it. It is a miracle!

Tues June 18

We had a busy morning packing up after our 4 day stay at the Cascadia Inn

It takes me longer to get ready for my walk each day than it takes Mona and Melinda to get ready so I get up at least one hour earlier than they do. They not only got ready but were also able to pack the car and were still waiting for me to finish bandaging my toes for the walk.

They dropped me in Baring and drove ahead 13 miles to Gold Bar to find a motel and do some needed shopping.

It was an incredibly beautiful walk. I came around one curve and the mountain before me, elicited a gasp and a vocal outcry, "Oh, my God!"

While I was walking I got a phone call from Ashley Speller of Seattle Children's Hospital. Ashley has been working with me to coordinate the last day of the Steps To-Marrow 4 Walk events at Seattle Children's Hospital. She is amazing and so supportive of our mission to enroll potential stem cell and bone marrow donors. She spoke briefly about plans for the last day of the walk. Then she said, "I have some exciting news." She had arranged for me to be interviewed by CBS Evening News to do a segment for "Heart of America." Ashley asked if I could be available at 4 pm for the interview. I am so grateful to Ashley for going the extra mile. This kind of exposure can help us get the word out to folks all across America about the great need for donors and how to join NMDP by texting Jada to 61474!

I walked just under 8 miles before Melinda and Mona came out to pick me up. At 3 we headed out to Stevens Pass Hwy where the interview took place over a Zoom call. I want to express my gratitude again to CBS News producer, Austin, and to Ashley from Seattle Children's Hospital. We are going to save many lives together.

Monday June 17

Yesterday I got a message from Melissa, the GM at the McDonald's in Deer Park. McDonald's kindly hired me part time so I can make ends meet at the end of each month. Melissa is a wonderful GM and a friend. Melissa's message said that she would like to drive out and find me on the road. I wrote back that I would love to see her. And I thought to myself, Wow, 260 miles is a long way to come.

The weather predicted rain all day. We had been warned that it was too dangerous to walk the 3.7 miles to Grotto due to lack of shoulders on the road and a tunnel without a passable walkway. Google Maps suggested a 12 mile alternative route up the hills, around and back on old logging roads. I decided to walk the 3.7 in Skykomish instead. I was lucky that the rain stopped shortly into my walk. Melissa wrote again to see if I needed anything. I gave it serious consideration and remembered that I could use some regular bandaids and a travel sized toothpaste.

The 3.7 miles went very quickly. When I was back on Railroad Ave I stopped in at Sky River Coffee. I told the barista about the Steps To-Marrow 4 Walk. She offered a cup of coffee, a pastry and a banana for breakfast. She also took a shot of the QR code for jadabascomfoundation.org so can share with others how to text Jada to 61474 and save lives.

When I got back to the Cascadia Inn there was more JBF work to attend to than I could take care of in the short time that I had for my break. So Mona helped me out by talking to the mayor, Henry Sladek. He is also the owner of the Cascadia Inn and Cascadia Cafe. He agreed to present a proclamation to the city council, to post info about joining NMDP on their website and to post our QR code on the window of the Cafe. In Mona's words, "He was all in." 😊

Mona dropped me off in Grotto so I could complete the walk to Baring. There was some light rain but it was not too bad. I texted Mona to let her know I finished early. When I looked up a car was pulling over. I thought, 'I can't believe it. It's Melissa!' I really couldn't believe that she was there! She drove 260 miles just to meet me on the road for a few minutes. And she arrived just as I finished the walk for the day! Melissa's friend, Christina, came along for the adventure. I asked if they would drive me back to the Cascadia Inn and come up to meet my sisters. Melissa had my supplies and more! It was a short visit but a great visit. She said it really hit home how far I have walked when she drove the 262 miles to meet me. I am grateful for the support for the Steps To-Marrow 4 Walk given by Melissa, the Deer Park McDonald's and Mark Ray the Owner and Operator at 3MR Restaurants.

We also took a "61474" photo. All you have to do is text Jada to 61474 to join NMDP. You could be the cure for a patient in need of a stem cell or bone marrow transplant!

It was a lovely surprise to see the sun shining this morning when I woke up. The weather report the night before had predicted rain all day. I was showered and ready to go by 8:30.

As Melinda and I walked we looked back toward Stevens Pass. We could see snow fall covering the summit I had crossed just two days earlier. It was clouding over but not raining on us. We walked 3.7 miles together of the 8.4 miles left to Skykomish. But the highway narrowed leaving almost no shoulder at all. Melinda and I both felt that it was not safe to walk this little stretch of Stevens Pass Highway. Also, being Sunday it felt like folks were in a hurry to get home and were moving particularly fast. So we called Mona. She came right away.

We had a delicious and healthy lunch at the Cascadia Inn Cafe. Melinda felt that she could do the afternoon walk with me. So we took off to finish the remaining 4.7 miles on back roads in Skykomish. It was a beautiful and rewarding walk together. It was much more relaxed than walking the highway and we could walk side by side instead of single file, allowing us to chat along the way. We reached the day's total of 8.4 miles with energy left.

I used that energy to catch up on the other work of the Steps To-Marrow 4 Walk; that is reaching out to folks on social media to share information about joining NMDP and the great need for a diverse set of potential stem cell and bone marrow donors. I caught up on my blogs, and videos for social media.

I just came across this link to an article about the Steps To-Marrow 4 Walk.

https://www.fox28spokane.com/deer-park-woman-walks-across-state-to-recruit-bone-marrow-donors-after-her-granddaughters-life-was-saved/

Jeana

Deer Park woman walks across state to recruit bone marrow donors after her granddaughter’s life was saved awainhouseby awainhouse | @ | May 15, 2024 7:09 pm SPOKANE, Wash. – A grandmother from Deer Park is on a mission. Jeana Moore is walking all the way to Seattle from eastern Washington to raise awareness of the dire need of stem cell and marrow donors, after watching her granddaughter beat Leukemia at a young age. “The possibility is tremendous, that you could save someone’s life by donating your cells,” Jeana Moore, founder of the Jada Bascom Foundation said. Step by step, Moore is recruiting strangers to save lives, just like her granddaughter, Jada Bascom, was saved years ago. “It took thousands of people to save Jada’s life, and the first one was a nurse at Holy Family Hospital, and she saw a what you call petechia, a little red dot on Jada’s skin,” Moore said. “And at one month old, she was officially diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.” According to the National Marrow Donor Program, every three to four minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer. And like Bascom, most patients don’t have a fully matched donor in their family, so that’s when they turn to unrelated donors; sometimes, those donors come from across the world, like Bascom’s donor, Tortsen Huber from Germany. “Jada celebrated in April her 17th birthday, because of the generosity of her donor,” Moore said. Out of 11,000,000 people searched, Bascom’s donor was her perfect match. And now, her grandma is on a mission to find matches for more cancer patients across the country. “Because of the difficult our family went through and the difficulty in finding donors and seeing patients around us who didn’t find their matches, and who passed away, I decided I wanted to help others find their match and we founded the Jada Bascom Foundation in 2009,” Moore said. And so, “Steps-to-Marrow” took off. Moore has walked millions of steps, traveled far distances, for the good of others. “In October of 2009, I left on my first walk. I walked from the Fred Hutchinson’s Cancer Center to Los Angeles and from Los Angeles to New York City,” she said. Alone with her pack, a good pair of shoes, and what she calls a meditative mindset, Moore is taking on a massive length of road to raise money for her the mission of her granddaughter’s foundation; finding stem cell and bone marrow donors for those who need them, just like Bascom did. “What it does, walking in this way, relying on the generosity of others, it brings everyone into the walk,” Moore said. This is Moore’s fourth “Steps-to-Marrow” walk and she’s on a journey from Deer Park all the way to Seattle, a total of around 300 miles. She started her walk on Monday. All the way there, Moore said she is relying on the goodness of others for food, water, and housing; this often looks like sleeping in a church, fire station, or sometimes, she said people even invite her into their home. “If I’m out in the wilderness, I can pitch my tent,” Moore said. Moore is averaging around 12 miles a day. On Wednesday she got closer to Airway Heights, and her plan is to make it to Seattle Children’s Hospital in 43 days. It’s a journey most people would never take on, but for Moore it’s all worth it if someone’s life can be saved like Bascom’s was – she’s now cancer free. If you would like to donate to “Steps-to-Marrow” click here. And for information on how to register to become a stem cell or marrow donor, click here.

It was raining again. We decided to go enjoy the Pancake Breakfast, a fundraiser for the Skykomish Food Bank, at the Masonic Hall. It would give me a late start but we felt it was important. It was a wonderful breakfast and a great place to connect with the members of the Skykomish community and talk about the great need for potential stem cell and bone marrow donors. There was a lot of interest in Jada's story and how they could help.

The pancake breakfast was part of the Tunnel festival celebration. Sadly, there were heavy rains on and off all day, so it affected the turnout and the number of vendors that participated. But there were plenty of folks who braved the storm and the cold.

As Mona and Melinda dropped me off on my route the sun came out but it didn't last long. I was drenched after 3.5 miles. And if you looked east back toward Stevens Pass you could see that it was snowing up at the summit I had crossed just two days earlier.

Mona and Melinda picked me up so I could dry out and have some lunch. I returned to the road and walked about 4.2 miles. I find myself very focused when I am walking in adverse conditions. This kind of focus suspends time. There is just walking and before you know it the walk is over. At the end of the walk I was mostly dry under my rain gear but my day pack was soaked.

Once we were back at the Cascadia Inn all of my equipment and clothing were carefully hung up to dry. So I would be ready for the road in the morning.

By Ramona Lyddon

Friday, June 14 Today, we dropped Jeana 4 miles from the Stevens Pass. Lindy and I drove to Skykomish and found the Cascadia Inn, where we will stay for the next two days. We were able to find a laundromat, as well!

We heard from Jeana that she reached the top of the Pass!! Hurray! Celebrate!! So proud of Jeana! She rested for about 45 minutes, enjoying a cup of coffee thx to a lady she met!

Lindy and I headed up early to retrieve Jeana, as the weather has turned cold and windy and we were concerned for her. We reached Marker 59 and got a text from Jeana that said she was too cold to continue! We met her between marker 63-64. So glad we were prompted to go early!!

We warmed her up, driving back to Skykomish. We ate at a deli, went to see the fire department and sat in the library and shared Jeana’s story with them. We have resumed the tradition of having people get their picture taken, holding their fingers up, 61474; representing the number for Be The Match, or NMDP, to which you can text “Jada”.

They will send information about joining the registry! If requested, they will send the kit directly to you, to swab your cheek and join the registry, to save a life!!

Jeana and Lindy prepared to return to the route and walk three miles down the route on the mountain. Jeana’s route all the way from Spokane has been Hwy 2! The sun had come out, a little bit, and the wind had died down. They successfully completed the 3 miles. We drove on down the road and stopped at Deception Falls. So beautiful!  Such power and majesty in a waterfall!!

We got settled in our  new digs. We discovered it much like an old hotel , with a nice size room, and the co-Ed sinks, toilets and showers and in one room down the hall. This morning, brushing teeth, the man next to me finished his brushing and smiled at me and said, “This is the first time I brushed my teeth with a stranger!” I answered, “me , too!” The town of Skykomish is hosting their annual Tunnel Festival, with vendors, mini train rides, a parade and many activities today!  It is rainy and cold!  We slept in and went to the Pancake Breakfast hosted by the Food Bank held at the Masonic Lodge. We are now holed up, waiting for the rain to slow down so Jeana can begin her 7 mile walk today!

Written by Ramona Lyddon

Yesterday, Thursday, June 13, Jeana walked to within 4 miles of the Stevens Pass! She is amazing-quite the trooper!

She realized the turnout where I dropped her at the start of the day was about 3 miles short of the actual turnout it should have been. So, in the afternoon, we drove to the Lake Wenatchee State Park and Lindy and Jeana took a walk up to the headwaters of the Wenatchee River! The total walk was 1 1/2 miles, so she will make up that last 1 1/2 miles another time!!

While they walked , I was supposed to be resting. The Park Rangers had other plans! Three park ranger trucks drove up, along with a big dump truck hauling a shredder behind it. Within 20 feet behind me they began running three chains saws to cut up a huge tree, limb it, and shred all the thrash. Incredibly noisy! They left after about thirty minutes and as I closed my eyes with relief, another truck drove up and the lady rancher used a huge blower to clean the parking lot! Then, after she mercifully left another ranger came waltzing down the parking lot with some kind of a generator -fan on wheels and moseyed on down and away! Then I closed my eyes and Jeana and Lindy appeared! No rest for the wicked or weary! 🥰

We watched National Treasure on our mini screen TV with a DVD! We ordered from the diner and ate in our room; Jeana had banana pancakes; Lindy had spaghetti and I had a chocolate shake! I went to bed at 8:30 pm and got up at 6:30 am. I felt better! We packed up everything and said goodbye to the 59er diner!

Today I was walking from Cole's Corner to a town called Merritt. As I was leaving Cole's Corner I passed the 59er Diner. A woman came running towards me and said we have been waiting for you. Come in and have some coffee. They not only shared a cup of coffee with me but made breakfast for me too. They had read the article in the Wenatchee World and the waitress had also seen me walking in Dryden. They were really lovely to me and also interested in helping to spread the word about joining NMDP to save the lives of patients in need of stem cell and bone marrow transplants. Definitely, stop by the 59er Diner if you are traveling through Cole's Corner.

Today as I walked I listened to the Messiah. Handel's Messiah is like an old friend to me. It brings up warm and endearing feelings. I try not to use up my battery listening to music but we had a good plan for place and time for pickup at the end of the day so I thought I was safe using a little extra battery. In the end it turns out that I was very close to having no battery by the end of the day and I wasn't where we had agreed to meet. But I truly enjoyed my walk up the mountain to the songs of Handel's Messiah.

Our agreed meeting place was the town of Merritt. At one point Mona and Melinda drove by, they had texted to ask if I would like to be picked up. I said that I was half a mile from Merritt and that I would meet them there.

I walked and walked. I decided to check and see how far Merritt was now instead of being 1/2 mile away it was 1.7 miles to Merritt. I thought ok I can do that. I wondered how I could have gotten it so wrong. But I didn't worry. After walking for an hour or so and still not finding Merritt I thought I would check it again. Now the town of Merritt was three miles away! And my phone was low on its battery. Just then my sisters showed up. They had driven all the way to the summit of Stevens Pass and never found Merritt either.

As we drove back toward Cole's Corner we finally found Merritt off of Hwy 2 and down Gill's Creek Rd. It was a small collection of houses. It was not the town we were expecting.

We got a cabin behind the 59er Diner just .2 miles from the Squirrel Tree Inn.

Tuesday morning we all drove back to Leavenworth to handle some business. After that Mona dropped Melinda and I off at the Tumwater Campground where I had finished the night before.

It is always nice to have a companion to walk alongside but in this case we walk single file because of the narrow shoulders and traffic whizzing by. I was getting a late start so it was only a 5.2 mile walk. We stopped to wrap Melinda's toes to prevent blisters with about a mile left. Both of us were limping a bit by the time that we got to the Squirrel Tree Inn.

Ramona hand washed my soaks for me. That is a huge gift as clean soaks are imperative to maintain healthy feet on long walks!

It really was a beautiful day to walk along with the Wenatchee River on my left and highway 2 on my right. I walked 7 miles to Tumwater Campground near Chiwaukum Creek. Mona says, "She a Walken."

There is a beauty in just walking, without the anticipation of 'when will I arrive.' I don't always walk with this spaciousness... But today it was an in the moment, step by step day.

I was surprised and happy with how quickly my knee healed. And my new Keen Targhee IV's are broken in! I also used my trekking poles to decrease the impact on my sore knee. All of this contributed to a great walk...

When I finished. Mona & Melinda picked me up. We went back to The Alps. The Alps is a candy shop that I stopped at earlier this morning to share information about the Steps To-Marrow 4 Walk and NMDP. Mona and Melinda had fun perusing the unbelievable variety of candies. We each picked out a small portion of fudge. Then we drove to the Squirrel tree motel at Cole's Corner.

I spent the evening doing social media posts and blogs to help spread the word about how to join NMDP by texting Jada to 61474 to save the lives of patients in need of transplants.

On Sunday morning it was time to say goodbye to our niece, Joanna. She gave us a lovely gift by driving 2 and 1/2 hours to join me in the Steps To-Marrow 4 Walk. You can see that I am blessed with a beautiful caring family. You see it in the actions of my sisters joining me on this adventure from so far away and my niece coming to Leavenworth because she may not be available when I arrive in Seattle. There are also the gifts of family along the way like my niece, Tessa, and her husband, Cris and his family helping the three Aunties in Wenatchee.

Here's what Mona shared about the day:

Sunday June 9 Hurray for Sundays, a day of rest!  Joanna took of a little after 9 am. We enjoyed sitting up late at the riverside talking and eating ice cream the night before. So lovely!  We soaked Jeana’s feet in Epsom Salts and rubbed them down afterwards with Dr Teals Foot Cream. We iced her knee and used a lidocaine patch and an ace wrap and used Advil. By the end of the day her knee had stopped hurting and her feet felt pretty good, too. Lindy and I did laundry in Pashastin. It was the cleanest laundry I’ve ever been in! I sat on the patio, riverside again and made some phone calls, relaxed and enjoyed the sound of rushing water and a light breeze. We watched a few Hallmark mysteries together. Jeana and I went to Leavenworth and picked up  sandwiches from Safeway, and another small pint of ice cream for the three of us!  We went to bed early!  What a lovely, restful day!!

One last note about the day. Mona and Melinda both worked on sewing my patches from Spokane County Fire District 4 and Fire District 10 onto my vest. I am very pleased to have that done!

Written by Ramona Lyddon

Hello!  The adventure continues!  Jeana walked on Friday from Dryden through Pashastin to Leavenworth. Lindy and I did some shopping in this quaint German town. The Cascade mountains rise high above the village!  Lots of shops and restaurants. Starting to find treasures for my Christmas Nona sacks!  🤪

There is a lovely Fruit stand and shops on the way to Leavenworth, Preys. We stopped to enjoy the shade from old growth trees and enjoy the shops.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner at King Ludwig’s!  We drove back to Cashmere for our second night there!

We packed up and drove back to Leavenworth to start Jeana’s walk through Leavenworth and start up the long 50 miles to the Stevens Pass with our niece Joanna, from Seattle, who met us at the Visitors Center. We parked both cars and Jeana and Lindy and Joanna headed off.

I sat in the shade and caught up with my girls via texts. I walked into the pedestrian area of Leavenworth and found some more shops and treasures.

I picked up my three companions after their 1 mile through town and two miles more up the mountain. We went back to the visitors center to use their restroom to change into our bathing suits and prepare for our River Rafting!  We drove both cars back to Pashastin to River Rider.

It was a beautiful day in. The 70s. We were provided with wet suits and booties to wear over our suits. We received some instructions and a paddle and off we went!! Our guide was AWESOME, making sure the four of us got into the deepest waves in the class 3 and 4 rapids. It was an amazing journey through stretches of calm and great white water over 13 miles, on the Wenatchee all the way back to Cashmere!  A memorable experience!!  We could not carry our cell phones but will have access to online photos soon!!

We checked into our Pashastin motel, River Edge Lodge, with our room having a beautiful view of the Wenatchee out our back door!  We passed the motel on our rafting trip!! Fun to see the views from two perspectives! The room also has an electric fire place!! We drove back to Leavenworth for dinner at Visconti, an excellent Italian pasta meal. We stopped at a grocery store for ice cream!  We sat out on the patio, feet up, taking bites of Dark Chocolate and/or Mint Chip ice cream, on the banks of the Wenatchee!  Incredible time together!!

Today I walked from Dryden to Leavenworth. At 11:45 Mona and Melinda picked me up at Prey's fruit stand to take me to the Leavenworth Rotary Club meeting. Rotarian Debra bought me a Caesar salad and introduced me to the club. It was classification day so I learned a lot about the three members of the club that gave short talks. I stayed after the meeting to greet club members and answer questions about NMDP and the Steps To-Marrow 4 Walk.

Melinda was hungry so we went to King Ludwig's for lunch. I didn't order anything because I had eaten at the Rotary meeting. And Mona shared small portions of fish and chips with me. A Young waiter recognized me from the Wenatchee World posting on Instagram. The attention gave us a chance to share information about NMDP and becoming a potential donor with many of the folks at the restaurant. The waiter and other staff said that they would share the information and our QR Code with others.

Mona dropped Melinda and I off at Prey's fruit stand to finish the 1.6 miles into Leavenworth. It was fun to have Melinda join me in walking again. When we got back to the hotel I was able to catch up on Jada Bascom Foundation work and laundry.

We stayed in Wenatchee for the morning so I could go to the Wenatchee Rotary club meeting. I am a member of the Deer Park Rotary Club and it is quite common for Rotarians to visit other clubs when they travel. I especially like the "4 Way Test" of Rotary.

The Wenatchee Rotary Club gave me a few minutes to talk about the walk, Jada's story, how to join NMDP. They will share our story and QR code in their newsletter and several Rotarians gave me donations after the meeting.

This is the first time I have done an afternoon walk on the Steps To-Marrow 4 journey. After we left Wenatchee I asked Mona to drive the walking route so I could see if it was safe. It turns out it was safer to walk highway 2. Since we were already in Dryden. I began my walk in Dryden and walked to Cashmere. You would think that this would be easier because it was mostly downhill but it was not easy on my right knee. I was limping by the time I reached Cashmere.

Mona and Melinda were ready for me when I got to Cashmere. They had gone to Annie's Antiques in Cashmere and found a few fun things for gifts. They also found an available room at the Cashmere inn for two nights

I soaked my feet in Epsom Salts while Mona kindly hand washed my laundry. After soaking my knee in a warm bath we had dinner at a great Mexican restaurant called Agave Azul.

Back at the Cashmere Inn. I dictated the blog for Day 19 to Mona and then drifted into a deep sleep.

This morning I was up early and ready for Ramona to drop me off on my route to prepare for my walk from East Wenatchee to Cashmere. The photographer from Wenatchee World was there to take photos for the article.

While I walked my sisters visited Ohme Gardens outside of Sunny Slope. Around noon Mona dropped Melinda off at Red Apple Rd. to walk with me the last 2.2 miles into Cashmere.

We had a late lunch at Rusty's and ate picnic style in a lovely outdoor dining park. I was able to take off my hiking boots and let my feet cool off on the lawn in the shade of the trees.

We took the time to stop in and visit the Cashmere Museum. Melinda especially enjoyed the Native American exhibit. I went outside to the Pioneer Village and took a nap on the grass. We were able to just make it to the famous Aplets & Cotlets Candy Kitchen before they closed.

We went back to Tessa's house for our last night in the Wenatchee area and enjoyed delicious salads at King Pizza for dinner.

Back at Tessa's house the three of us soaked our feet in a warm bath with Epsom Salts. Ahhh!

I spent the day in Wenatchee connecting with the community. I stopped in various shops to talk about stem cell and bone marrow donors including the Community Foundation of North Central Washington.

I walked the last 1/2 mile of the Pine Canyon mileage. I am pleased to be caught up.

We did our laundry, caught up on blogs and social media posts.

Tessa dropped me off on Hwy 2 where she picked me up yesterday and I walked the 9.6 miles to where Hwy 2 turns to cross over the Columbia River and begins the climb up through Stevens Pass.

Later in the afternoon my sisters, Mona and Melinda, met me at Tessa and Cris' townhouse. I have never had a support vehicle follow me on any of my walks. I thought it prudent to have a support team, this time, as I walked over the Cascade Mountains. So one phase of the walk is ending and another beginning.

We ran errands together: dropped donations at the bank, went to the Post office, and shopped for nuts and protein bars to put in my backpack as I walk. I met with Emily Thornton a reporter from the Wenatchee World.

I had a chance to catch up on Steps To Marrow/JBF work.

We had amazing pizza for dinner at King Pizza! 👑 🍕 We had 1/2 and 1/2 Veggie Supreme and Pear Force

I divided the 16 miles from Orondo into two days. I stopped at Estes fruit stand to use the restroom. When I told them about the walk they responded with generosity. They are making copies of our QR code and placing them at their counter so folks can make donations to the Jada Bascom Foundation. They also gave me a generous bag of Rainier cherries for the road.

My niece, Tessa who lives in East Wenatchee, picked me up after 6 miles and took me to King Pizza. She and her husband , Cris, and co-owner, Mark, started King Pizza in the fall of 2023. I had a delicious "Pesto Both Worlds" pizza with house made sweet peppers. Wow, delicious! They are doing a marvelous job. They have original Pizza recipes created by Cris, creative salads and dressings by Tessa, delicious cheesecakes by Mark, fresh ingredients and great service. They are open Tuesday through Sunday 3 pm to 9 pm.

While Tessa was working I sat at the counter, enjoyed my pizza and engaged with folks that I met. There were many people who were interested in the walk and the importance of stem cell and bone marrow donors.

Tessa and Cris were working late so I walked the 2.1 miles to their home along the Columbia River. Leaving me only 1/2 mile from the Pine Canyon walk.

I did my laundry, took a bath and went to bed.

Saturday morning Linda and Marie took me on a 2.5 mile walk on the back roads of Waterville to make up more miles for Pine Canyon. It was fun to have walking companions.

Around noon Melissa, Linda and Marie drove me down Pine Canyon to Orondo and dropped me off with a friend of a friend who owns an orchard in Orondo. He invited me to set my tent up in his cherry orchard and helped me pick a good spot for the tent. I asked if I could plug my phone in and he said to use some outlets on the back porch.

It felt great to be down in the Columbia River valley and putting the desert part of the walk behind me.

Before setting up my tent. I walked 2.2 miles of the Pine Canyon mileage. That left me with just 2.6 miles to walk to complete the 9.8 mile total.

On the way back to the cherry orchard I stopped at the Orlando Store. They generously gave me a sandwich, chips and a pop for dinner. I enjoyed my dinner under a gazebo next to the gas station while I typed the next blog post.

When I got back to the orchard. I was sitting on the back porch charging my phone. I could hear that the owner was upset about something that had happened. I don't know what it was but I felt it would help if I was not in their space so I called Melissa from Waterville and she invited me to spend another night with her.

Melissa picked me up and took me back to Waterville. We enjoyed another night of conversation and I slept soundly.

In the morning I asked Jessica if she would drive me down Pine Canyon because many people had told me how dangerous it is to walk. She very kindly agreed and drove me down the canyon. And all of those folks who said it is not safe to walk were right. In some places there is no shoulder on blind corners. So when cars come around the protruding rock their wheels are right where I would be walking and they were coming fast and furious.

Jessica also gave me a look at Badger Mountain Road. It was not a good option either.

Jessica wanted me to meet Amy, the librarian. When we arrived Amy was leading a reading and arts and crafts session but Marie at the front desk said I could leave my backpack behind the desk while I went back out to walk the last mile into the center of Waterville. Jessica dropped me off on Hwy 2 where she had picked me up the day before. While I was out walking the library staff was already arranging for me to meet with Linda Chilcott, a reporter for the Empire Press. When I got back she was at the library and ready for the interview! I want to express my gratitude to Marie, Amy, Linda and Linda's grandfather who all made donations to the Jada Bascom Foundation to support the enrollment of potential stem cell and bone marrow donors!

Amy made a FB post about the walk and invited folks to come down to the library to meet me and learn more about joining NMDP to save the lives of patients in need of a stem cell or bone marrow transplant. If you would like to join text life to 61474!

Marie invited me to join her for lunch. After a delicious vegetarian lunch box we walked over to the city hall and met the clerk /treasurer who will arrange to prepare a bone marrow awareness day proclamation to present to the City counsel. On the way out we met the Mayor who supported the idea of the proclamation. The city will also put information on how to join the registry on their FB page.

I had not yet found a place to sleep in Waterville. Marie introduced me to Aunt Melissa. She invited me to stay with her and her daughter, Linda.

I was unable to walk Pine Canyon. I began to walk the 9.8 miles elsewhere. Marie suggested we walk to the swallow nesting sites, 2.5 miles.

When we returned, dinner was ready!! Pizza on the table, ready to eat! We really enjoyed visiting with each other. I sat in an easy chair with my feet up.

My head met the pillow and I got some wonderful, much needed sleep.

Today Mark dropped me off for the last time about 11 miles from Waterville. I am so grateful for all that the Sanderlin family did to help me make it across the 40 mile stretch between Coulee City and Waterville and to help me heal my blisters!

When I was a mile out from Waterville I called Jessica Moon as she had invited me to do. There wasn't any answer so I just continued my walk. In a short amount of time Jessica pulled up on the highway. She loaded my backpack up into her van and took me home. She helped me settle into very comfortable accommodations in their camper. I laid down just to rest for a minute and promptly fell asleep.

When I woke up I had a wonderful visit with Jessica and her mother sitting on the front porch. One of the beautiful things about the Steps To-Marrow walks is the opportunity to listen to the stories of those who reach out to help me. This family had experienced several deaths of family and friends recently. Even in their grief they reached out to help me. Jessica later shared that she felt swallowed by the grief but helping me had lifted her up.

One of the stories that Jessica shared is that her husband is the great grand nephew of Chief Joseph. My heart filled with love as I listened because my brother-in-law, Bert Reins, loved and revered Chief Joseph, the leader of the Wallowa band of Nez Perce. Bert passed away many years ago and I felt his presence with me there in Waterville sitting on the front porch as the day gave way to dusk. I can't wait to tell my sister, Melinda the connection between my host and Chief Joseph.

Another story that Jessica shared is her involvement in bringing together the root diggers of Badger Mountain with local farmers. They had a tribal storyteller perform and then held discussions at the Waterville Museum. It helped farmers to understand the century's old tradition of digging bitterroot and camus root in the area and to resolve issues that arose from the proprietary view of the farmers and the non-ownership view of the tribal members.

I dearly appreciate my time with the Moon family and all that they do to help others.

On Monday the 15th my left foot was still plagued by blisters. I was able to walk 5.8 miles before I called my host family to be picked up near Road M. Brooklyn and Ethan picked me up around noon. When we got back to the house Brooklyn drew a salt bath for me to soak my feet in! That helped a lot! I used the early afternoon for foot care and catching up on my blog and social media.

When mark got home I remembered liquid bandaid and how it has helped me in the past to heal blisters. Why didn't I think of liquid bandaid from the start? I guess this is one of those lessons in life I have to learn more than once. Mark kindly went to town and bought some liquid bandaid for my feet.

On Tuesday May 16th with my blisters covered in layers of liquid bandaid and wrapped in sports tape I was able to walk 13 miles! Mark was shocked when he had to drive all the way out to Moses Coulee to pick me up!

Again, the Sanderlin Family took care of all of my needs a bath, laundry, treating sore blistered feet, food, etc. We also had great connection moments sharing stories.

On Wed the 17th I was up early and ready to go when Mark said on Wednesdays he visits with his son in Spokane so Amanda said she would be happy to come pick me up but she wouldn't be able to be out there until about 5 pm. I told her that would be great.

It was a blow you off the road kind of windy day but I still made food time. It was between 3:30 and 4 pm when I decided to sit down and care for my feet again. After a bit a car pulled up to see if I needed help. I had finished my goal of 10 miles for the day and was working on the mileage for the last walk into Waterville. So I said,"Yes, I can use a ride back to my hosts house outside of Coulee City." I thought this would help Amanda so she wouldn't have to make the drive out to pick me up after working all day.

Even though it was out of their way Jessica and her mother took me all of the way back to the Sanderlin 's house. It gave me lots of time to tell them all about my walk. When they dropped me off My Jessica gave me her phone number and asked me to call her when I walked into Waterville! Wow! What a blessing!

Again, I was treated so kindly and had my needs met on my last night with the Sanderlin's. I am so grateful for the care and generosity I experienced with this beautiful family. I was able to say my goodbyes and express my gratitude to each member of the family. Before I was dropped off just about 12 miles from Waterville. This was the stretch of highway that was the furthest without any towns in-between but Mark and his family made it possible.

It was a very windy night in Coulee City especially down by the lake. I was so happy to be warm and cozy inside the camper at Bryce's house. Bryce met me just before 8 am. I was packed and ready to go. He stopped by the store and bought bandaids and sports tape to restock my supply. He also bought me a breakfast burrito. Then he took me back to my route to start my walk. I had been fighting blisters since I began breaking in a new pair of Keen Targhee II's. Today's goal was 10 miles.

The walk across the dam and up the hill were beautiful. Sadly, I could feel the blisters getting worse. The most important thing is to care for my feet. So after 3 miles I called Mark to pick me up.

Mark picked me up and took me to his home. When I walked in he said, "It isn't the cleanest house but it is a house filled with love."

He drew a warm bath for me. That was grand! When I  came out Mark said it was too windy outside to put up my tent and invited me to sleep on the couch. He made sure I had plenty to eat while I worked on catching up my social media and blogs and babied my feet. Mark even did my laundry.

This is a house with a blended family, one of the daughter's friends lives here as well. Her name is , Jasmine. Her son's name is Kraden. In the morning, while Jasmine was busy getting ready to go baby Kraden was sitting in "Grandpa Mark's" lap. As the three of us interacted I began using sign language with the baby. It didn't take long before he was using baby signs for dog and bird. Being with Kraden brought me joy. My sister, Mona, calls it baby therapy.

Leaving Hartline on my way to Coulee City this morning there were rows of American flags lining the main street. It is the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. I hear from folks in Hartline that it is also Rodeo Weekend in Coulee City so there will be lots and lots of visitors there.

My brother sent me a text telling me that he had contacted campgrounds along Banks Lake to see if I could pitch my tent on their property. All said no either because they were full or they didn't allow tent camping. I checked with the Ala Cozy Motel but they were full too. The last campground along the lake before you walk over the dam is the city campground. I asked a nice young couple who are the hosts at the campground if I could pitch my tent. He checked with the manager but the manager said no.

I started walking toward the Presbyterian church a young woman driving a pick up truck offered me a ride to the church. I walk every step of my route but I do take rides back and forth to my lodgings, stores, etc. On the church there was a phone number for the pastor. I thought it was a long shot since it was a Saturday night but I gave him a call and left a message. After waiting a while and resting my feet I decided I would walk to a restaurant a few blocks away to see if I could  find some help for the night. As I was walking toward the restaurant I noticed some folks having a gathering at the RDO equipment co. I stopped and considered whether or not I should interrupt their gathering.

As I approached the garage area a guy came out to greet me. I later learned his name is Mark. Mark listened as I explained why I was walking shortly into the story he hollered out, Hey, Justin, You have to hear this." Pretty soon all of the RDO workers were gathered in a circle listening to Jada's story and about my quest to enroll potential donors. This was not a passive circle. It was a circle of men prepared to give aid to a 71 year old woman walking across the state of Washington to help others. They actively sought answers for things I hadn't even expressed that I needed. They immediately offered me food from their celebration. They personally purchased socks and a lightweight pullover shirt for my journey. They also bought me enough water bottles to last me a week. While all of this was going on Bryce was checking with his family and arranging for me to stay in a camper at his home overlooking Banks Lake.

I felt the kind of safety that I feel when I arrive home after a long trip. This is an exceptional group of men. Their sense of caring and concern was palpable and their compassion immeasurable.

The story gets even better because they arranged to help me with the 40 mile stretch across the desert, between Coulee City and Waterville. I will walk 10 miles, Mark will pick me up on the highway and I'll stay with Mark and his family. The second day he will pick me up at the 20 mile mark and on the third day the 30 mile mark. I told my daughter I wouldn't leave Coulee City until I was sure I could walk this 40 mile stretch safely. Miracle of miracles, this is more than I could have hoped for...

I was up at 4:30: breaking down my tent, getting myself clean and ready, and making sure that the phone and back up charger were fully charged. I had washed some socks the night before and left them to dry. I held them up to the hand dryer to finish the job. I drank the protein drink that the couple had so kindly left the night before and ate a snickerdoodle that Julie from the Wilbur Register had given me. I finished loading my pack at 8:08 and was ready to go.

I encountered a problem right away. The map app was going haywire because the reception was so bad. I followed the directions but soon realized I was headed in the wrong direction. I looked at the map app again and it had me going around this block to get back to another place I didn't need to be. I couldn't seem to get my bearings. ( Later I realized that I have a compass on me at all times. I just didn't think of it then.) So I waved down a pretty white pickup truck and asked for help. Ray, the driver said, "well, I can give you a ride to Hartline." I thanked him and said I wanted to walk every step. So he gave me very clear directions to walk by the grain elevator and then follow the curve in the road, take that road all the way to the "T" and turn left, then go down the hill and back up the hill and voila Hartline.

Then Ray drove off and said I will meet you at the elevators. Down the dusty dirt road I went headed to the elevators but I turned one road too soon. Something didn't feel right so I sat down on the guardrail resting my pack on the wooden support while I pondered the road I was on and the road below both of them led me past the elevators. Out of the blue I heard a holler,"Hey, down here! If you follow that road you'll end up in Coulee Dam." Ray was making sure I was on track.

I don't know why but it was a very challenging day of walking taking the back roads. I even walked a long stretch of railroad tracks that required me to walk over two train trestles. I am not crazy about train trestles. I have walked a few when necessary but I don't feel safe even when no trains are in sight. These two were not so high and I think the tracks are only used when the train cars are gathering the wheat from the elevators. Still I was relieved each time I reached the security of the earth beneath the tracks.

After a pretty stressful day of walking I arrived in Hartline. Jeanette from Almira Town Hall told me to go to Kenice Cafe. I found out later it is owned by Keith and Denice, hence Kenice. 😊 I was welcomed kindly into the restaurant. Keith offered me a lovely salad and a soda. While I ate a 4 top came in. Everyone visited back and forth Denice coming in and out of the kitchen as she cooked, Keith behind the counter, me from a barstool and the two couples from the table. Most of them had seen news of my arrival on Facebook and They talked about seeing pictures of my bandaged feet. They also shared news of what was happening during the upcoming memorial day weekend.

Gwyneth, Denice and Keith's daughter, began an investigation into where I could put up my tent for the night. Perhaps behind the Assembly of God Church but there would be no access to a bathroom. The park had a bathroom that remains open so perhaps I could put my tent up there. Everyone joined in listening and commenting on possibilities. The Pastor from the Assembly of God Church came over and we walked down to the park to consider the options more closely.

When I was back at the Kenice Cafe sitting on my barstool Rosalie, from the group sitting at the table said, "Why don't we have her sleep in the basement of the Methodist Church?" I heard murmurs of approval and added that I would really appreciate being able to sleep in the basement. Rosalie called the Methodist minister and grabbed the keys. Then she and I were off to the Methodist Church.

It took a village to settle on the right spot for me to lay my head down for the night but I am surely grateful for the outcome. I climbed into my sleeping bag warm and secure.

If you are in Eastern Washington on Highway 2 stop in Hartline and visit Keith and Denice at Kenice Cafe. Tell them Jeana sent you.

Today I walked 12 miles from Wilbur to Almira. The further away I get from the cities of Spokane and Airway Heights the quieter the traffic gets. I now have long stretches of time to listen to the sounds of nature; crickets, bird's songs, the howling winds, chirping rodents...and then the roaring of a car rushing down the highway. They tend to appear in packs, these automobiles.

As I was nearing the end of my day I spied a snake just a step or two ahead of me. The snake had a diamond pattern on its back just like the Western Diamondback Rattle Snakes of Eastern Washington. I stopped and stood very still scanning from head to tail. No rattles! A sign of relief. It was a Bull snake. The Bull snake resembles the Western Diamondback Rattle snakes in color and pattern but with two significant differences; no rattles and it doesn't have the distinctive black and white rings just above the rattle that a Western Diamondback Rattle snakes have .

A couple of folks from Wilbur suggested that I go to the Almira Town Hall for help when I arrived in Almira. I headed straight there. Almira does have a Community Church a post office, gas station and Brewing Co. But no restaurants or hotels.  Clerk/Treasurer-Jeanette Coppersmith, was waiting for my arrival having been told I was coming by several folks in Wilbur. Jeanette was helpful right away sharing the restroom and supplying me with water.

About that time Julie from the Wilbur Register came to do the interview we had arranged this morning. Julie also brought a cheese sandwich and some other goodies for my lunch/dinner.

The Wilbur Register does not post their articles online but Julie promised to send a copy of the article to me. I will post it as soon as I get a copy.

Jeanette said I could set up my tent behind the Town Hall and use the restrooms that the Lions Club had built for the community. Jeanette opened a utility closet off of the hallway between the two bathrooms so I could able to charge my phone.

I fell asleep quickly and early. I was awakened by quiet voices calling out my name. I could tell they were friendly. I unzipped the tent and the woman said, " How are you doing, Jeana?" She explained that she had seen a post on Facebook that's how she knew my name and about the Steps To-Marrow 4 walk. The couple said that their kids had seen me setting up the tent so they decided to stop by and see if I needed anything. They brought some dinner and a protein shake for breakfast. How lovely they were. They also told me where they lived in case I needed anything.

I keep forgetting to take a picture of my tent when I set it up or before I take it down in the morning. I will try to remember next time. You see when I am setting up my tent it is usually at the end of a long day so I am not thinking about photographs.

When I have a Community Connection day. I talk to folks in town about the walk, Jada's story and how to join NMDP to save a life. I woke up early and began the day working on catching up on my blogs and other social media posts. The coffee house across the street, J & A Cafe, gave me breakfast a nice gentleman playing cribbage with 4 other gentlemen offered to pay for my breakfast but the manager said he would like to take care of the bill.

I visited Wilbur Register but the reporter wasn't in. I hope she can find me on the road tomorrow.

At the Wilbur City Hall a young woman named Kelly helped me so they can present a proclamation for a stem cell and bone marrow awareness day at the next city council meeting. Kelly also agreed to present the idea of posting, information about the great need for donors and how to join NMDP, on the city's website.

The President of the Jada Bascom Foundation board personally paid for an additional night at the motel so I could rest my foot for healing. I had quite a bruise from dropping one of my walking poles on my hiking boots 🥾 a few days earlier. I kept my foot elevated to help with the contusion as the day progressed it began to feel better.

As evening came there was one more thing to do. My brother drove out to Wilbur with a new pair of Keen Targhee II's. The Keen Targhee IV's were not made for long distance walking. I sent the Keen Targhee IV's back with John to return to REI. John also brought bandaids, a hat, and fresh fruit. My daughter, Issa, gathered everything together for me. I was now ready for the walk to Almira in the morning. (P.S. for my Rotary friends the refund goes to pay for the Keen Targhee II's)

Note: I keep losing hats! I hope I hold onto this one!

Creston to Wilbur

This morning I was jolted out of my sleep at 4:15 am. I wasn't sure what was happening I saw raindrops on the rain cover. But this was not rain. There was a rhythm to the sound of the droplets assaulting my tent. I finally realized it was sprinklers. I thought that I could wait until they stopped but they kept going and going and going. My rain cover was working nicely but finally it sagged under the weight of the onslaught of water. The sagging began near my feet where I keep the backpack when I am sleeping. I sat up and felt the pack. It was starting to get wet. I decided I would have to collect what I could and get it out of the tent before everything got soaked.

I grabbed the backpack, pulled it out of the tent, covering it with my body I ran through the sprinklers and quickly deposited it in the outer room of the bathroom. I did this routine three or four more times until I had the tent empty. My back and right pant legs were soaked but I had managed to get everything out with minimal drenching. I laid my gear out and went next door to the City Hall for some coffee. When I got inside Kim said, Someone paid for your breakfast across the street at the Corner Cafe.

It turns out Wendy had paid for my breakfast yesterday afternoon. Wendy was in Creston City Hall when I arrived the evening before. So while my clothes and gear were drying out I was thoroughly enjoying my breakfast and coffee at the Corner Cafe.

About halfway on the walk to Wilbur a sweet young woman named charity stopped to make sure I was ok. She later posted on Facebook, "I stopped to help her but she was already helping others." Not much later a young couple stopped to see if I needed a ride.

It was cold all day. The weather report said to expect rain at 5:30 pm but the rain came early. By 1:30 it was wet, wet wet. I am so grateful for the backpack raincover!

Deb Rosman paid for a room for the Willows Motel. Deb is the woman who paid for a night's stay at the Davenport Motel. She texted me about the room so when I got into Wilbur I walked straight over to the Willows Motel.

As I was getting settled I asked if the Willows hotel would do my laundry and they kindly agreed to help. So I was clean and dry and so were my clothes. I walked down the street to Billy Burgers and they gave me a delicious vegetarian burger for dinner.

Top top off the day. I returned a call from Ashley Speller, Senior Communications Specialist, from Seattle Children's Hospital. Ashley is going to work with the Jada Bascom Foundation to create a celebration for the last day of the 4th Steps To-Marrow walk!

Truly, a day filled with blessings large and small.

This morning I left Davenport Motel for the last time. Gurleen gave me a ride to the rest stop where I continued walking. Each member of the family shared with me in some way the importance of giving generously to others; some with words some without. I feel blessed to have met this beautiful family out in the high desert of eastern Washington.

The walk was only 7.7 miles from the rest stop to Creston but I had a bit of a hindrance. I dropped my walking pole on my foot yesterday. I must have dropped it just right because when I woke up this morning my right foot was puffy, bruised and painful. The pain increased getting my foot into the hiking boot and each step gave me a jolt of pain. I Took frequent breaks to rest and elevate my foot. I even sat down feeling the warmth of the sun, while resting my foot, and wrote a blog.

What started out as a lovely sunny day turned cold, wet and windy by the afternoon. When I arrived in Creston I stopped in at the City Hall. After I explained about the walk the clerk/treasurer, Kim, called around. They said I couldn't stay at the volunteer fire station due to liability but I could put my tent in the city park and I could charge my phone in the bathroom.

Kim gave me a noodle bowl for dinner and some cookies and M&M packets. She also filled my water bottles. Before we parted Kim told me to stop by the office in the morning for coffee.

The park bathroom turned out to be very clean with a separate room where I could sit and charge my phone. While it was charging I was able to catch up on Jada Bascom Foundation communications, check in on my roommates, write blogs, etc. I kept very busy until 8:30 when I went outside and set up my tent. Kim suggested that I put my tent on the grass rather close to the restroom just in case I needed to get up in the middle of the night...

Slept good at the Davenport Motel. I walked without my backpack, well without the Big one. I carried a small backpack with items I would need throughout the day like, bandaids, water, rain gear, etc

The manager at the Safeway bought several different kinds of bandaids for my feet and sunscreen. He also gave me $10 for coffee. I went to the coffee hut next door and told the barista my story. She said to donate the $10 to the STM 4 project and gave me the coffee and a breakfast cookie. The gentleman at the other window heard my story and asked her to give  $5.00 to me for the Steps To-Marrow 4 walk fundraiser.

I walked 13 miles to the Telford rest area. I experienced every kind of weather...Sunshine, fierce cold winds, torrents of rain, a hail storm. It changed fast and was unpredictable. I had to be prepared moment to moment. One thing remained constant. It was cold even when the sun was shining.

I was bone-weary when I reached the rest stop. The idea was to get a ride back to the Davenport Motel. They had kindly offered me a room for the night. I spoke with folks who pulled into the rest stop. Many were willing but unable to give me a ride because their cars were full or packed for travel. Others gave me signals that they were not open to being approached by a stranger at a rest stop. Relying on the generosity of others is a practice for me. I approach each person and situation with an open mind, without judgement. What my friend Lex Hixon calls "open space." After about a half an hour I got a ride from a guy who had just attended the barter fair. We chatted about family, the barter fair, and the Jada Bascom Foundation on the way back into Davenport.

I felt a deep contentment to be back at the hotel. The cold to the bone feeling disappeared with a warm bath. AH, a deep breath.

.

I was up at 6 am on Saturday hoping to get an early start because I had many miles ahead of me on my way to Davenport. I had time to do some posting on social media before David was up and ready. By the time we were in the truck it was 8:00 not too bad...but David's truck just would not start. He did this and he did that to no avail. He was in the truck. He was under the hood. He was here. He was there. Through it all he was patient. More patient than my father was when he had car troubles. More patient than my ex-husband was when he had car troubles. In the end David was the victor . Off we went with a bit of trepidation headed back to the exact spot where David found me the day before.

After we said our goodbyes I made the short walk to the center of Reardan. I was looking for a restroom but nothing was open on Saturday morning. I walked over to the volunteer Fire Station but no luck. I saw a woman pulling away and waved her down. She kindly stopped. When she heard of my need, she invited me to her home. Shirley not only let me use the restroom she also fed me breakfast and her husband, Kyle, prepared a lunch for me. I thank Shirley and Kyle for their hospitality. They really helped me out in a pinch.

By the time I reached the Inland NW Railway Museum I needed the facilities again! I have to be careful not to put out more fluids than I take in. But I think with the long walk my cells are releasing a lot of stored water. They were kind enough at the Museum to let me sit in a chair while I changed my hiking boots. That was a luxury indeed.

A bit later in the day, I was walking along and could hear a dog barking. It sounded like he was in distress. I looked around. I couldn't see the dog. I walked a little further and crossed over the road. I finally identified that the dog was in the culvert under the road. His distressed barking continued. I wasn't sure what would be the best action. I wasn't comfortable going down into the muck and mire where there was a distressed dog that was unknown to me. I couldn't leave him alone. I thought that the dog might belong to the house down a nearby lane. Down the lane I went. When I approached the house, barn and several outbuildings I began calling out, "Hello...Hello...Hello." The front door of the home opened and out stepped a teenaged boy. This drew my attention and I noticed that an elderly man had been seated on the porch all along. He said, "I saw you on the news." I smiled and expressed my concern about the distressed dog in the culvert and asked if it was their dog. He laughed and said, "Oh, those dogs belong to the neighbor. Don't worry, they go down there all the time.," My relief must have been clear. He chuckled and stood. He walked toward me and handed me a $20 bill as a donation for the Steps To-Marrow 4 walk and the enrollment of potential donors. Expressing my gratitude I went back down the lane to Hwy 2.

The day's walk was 13 miles and full of amazing encounters. I still had 6 miles to go when I stopped to change my hiking boots and check the bandaids on my toes and feet. A car stopped and a man stepped out from the passenger's side of the vehicle. His name is Mike Ellis. I loved that Mike had many questions about Jada, the Steps To-Marrow 4 Walk, the Jada Bascom Foundation, and the physical effects. As we talked his wife waited patiently in the car. Before he left Mike handed me a $20 donation to enroll potential donors and said that he would text me to see how I am doing. He told me to text him when I arrived in Davenport safely. Truly a lovely encounter.

I got a  text from a woman named Debra who knew a Firefighter from Airway Heights District 10 Fire Station.  She said that she wasn't home but I could put my tent up in her back yard if it would help. A short time later I got another text from Deb. She said that she had paid for a night at the Davenport Motel for me. At first I thought they were the same person. I finally figured out that Deb was connected to the Deputy Chief at District 10 fire station. Wow! I had accommodations ready for me in Davenport! I thank each Deb for reaching out to help me as I walk across WA state.

Another encounter with just a few miles left in the day's walk again I was changing my hiking boots when a Lincoln County Sheriff's vehicle pulled up. I wasn't worried because a firefighter named Taylor, said he'd ask his wife who was a deputy sheriff to watch out for me. It was Nickie checking in on me to be sure I was ok. She was lovely. She offered snacks and water. And invited me to contact her if I needed anything. I told her that I would be staying at the Davenport Motel.

As you can see it was an eventful day and a long day of walking. I noticed that my walking was stronger. It was late in the day when I finally arrived at the Davenport Motel but I was earlier than I expected. ♥️

I received a very warm reception at the Davenport Motel. They arranged for my dinner at the Mexican Restaurant next door and offered to give me an additional day at the Motel.

I slept soundly, being warm and dry thanks to the generosity of a dear woman I had never met.

Windy days. In the morning weather report at the District 10 Fire Station they said there would be wind gusts up to 45 mph. As a walker I have learned to make friends with the wind. There are winds that are welcomed like a sweet cool breeze on a hot summer day. There are winds that folks do not welcome; winds that blow over patio furniture or mess up your hair. Yesterday there were very strong head winds. If I fight or resist them they gain energy I become weakened. If I relax into them it is like I am permeable the wind blows through me adding energy to each step I take. It was windy all day until late afternoon when the world around me became very calm letting in the warmth of the sun.

After a bit, a gentleman stopped greeted me and without any fanfare made a donation of $20.00 to the Steps To-Marrow 4 project. No" I" in there, just kindness.

I was still about 6 miles from Reardan and I decided to sit and change my walking boots. Which is a ritual that happens quite often during my days on the road. A gentleman stopped to see if I was okay. We visited for a minute about what I was doing. I told him, as absurd as it sounded, what I needed was a ride into Reardan so I could use the restroom and then a ride back so I could keep walking. And he did just that.

We had a chance to visit during the ride into town and back again. He talked about the many family members that he had lost to cancer. As a matter of fact he had just dropped a cousin, who has cancer, off at the airport to take a Make a Wish trip to the Grand Canyon. It was a bittersweet trip for my new friend. I felt that he understood the why of my walks...to save the lives of others. Without words he manifested the interconnected nature of all beings sitting in the cab of the truck.

I filmed a short video just before I got into Reardan. In it I said I don't know where I will sleep but I will see what turns up. I finished the walk into Reardan and sat down on a grassy strip near the beginnings of the sidewalk in to town. As I laid there with my head on my backpack a young man walked up to me and asked if I needed some help. His name is David. He explained that he had just dropped his daughter off with her grandmother. I told him I was resting before I began my search for a place to stay. He said that he lived outside of town and that he didn't have much but he could put me up for the night. His little truck had some trouble starting but it finally cranked over and we drove out into the hilly countryside where David has a small off the grid trailer.

He fed me black bean and kale soup for dinner. I texted my daughter so she would know where I was and I fell fast asleep. Boy, I needed the rest and the humble accommodations were a blessing. It reminds me of a story from the Bible that impressed me as a child. When Christ explains that the old woman who gave a few coins had given more in proportion than the large amounts the rich had given. My interpretation may not fit with Biblical scholars, but for me it was always a lesson in gratitude and equanimity.

I have deep gratitude for David's kindness.

As I walk I take a break every 3 to 4 days. This usually gives me a day without carrying my backpack, an opportunity to talk to folks in the community about the need for stem cell and bone marrow donors and I can catch up on my blogs and social media posts.

I had a "Bone Marrow Awareness Day" in Airway Heights on Thursday, May 16. The district 10 firefighters generously agreed to let me stay one more night.

I was able to visit the Airway Heights City Hall. They were very generous with their time and were particularly interested in Jada's story. The City Administrator said he had seen me on the news the night before. They are going to present a Proclamation to the City Council for a proposed Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Awareness Day in September. They picked September because it corresponds with the world bone marrow awareness day. They also said that they will post how to join NMDP and other pertinent information on their website.

In the afternoon I did catch up on my blog posts and did more social media posts. All in all a favorable day.

As I was walking about Airway Heights talking to folks about NMDP the firefighters were having a very busy day. There were very high winds that contributed to a small brush fire, downed power lines, etc. I am so grateful to these brave men and women who jump up with a moment's notice and rush in to harm's way to protect all of us. A special thanks to the firefighters who have reached out to help me along the way!

I told you about meeting Jacob at Spokane County Fire District 4 station 49. Here is his story as promised:

I first heard about the NMDP (Be The Match) while watching a story during the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2019. I was moved by the story and told my wife we needed to join the registry. Fast forward to around Thanksgiving 2021 I was informed I had matched with an individual suffering from Leukemia. I scheduled the appointments with the help of the coordinator staff at NMDP. After laboratory testing I was informed the week before Christmas that I was the best match and would be moving forward ASAP to donate. After many flight changes and a donation center change, I was able to donate in Seattle. Leading up to the donation the staff let me know I would be donating via PBSC (Peripheral Blood Stem Cell). The process was painless, minus some small shots of a medication designed to increase stem cell production. All expenses were covered by the NMDP. For the following year after my donation, I would share the story monthly and encourage my friends and family to get in the registry. Several did! None of them have been matched yet, but you never know when your phone will ring.

Jacob Kirwin

What a day! We all got up early at the Bascom home. Issa getting ready for work, the kids getting ready for school. Issa made sure I had my morning coffee and breakfast and then dropped me on my route on Country Homes Blvd just where I had stopped the day before. After a few blocks I heard someone calling out to me. It was the cousin of a dear friend of mine. We waited for the light to change and then I was able to greet, Michael Morales,  on that busy street corner. We took a little time to catch up on what was happening in our lives and of course I shared information about how to support the walk by simply going to jadabascomfoundation.org to make a donation. It was marvelous to see Michael and his contagious smile.

The morning was overcast so very pleasant walking conditions, winding my way through neighborhoods toward TJ Meenach Blvd.

When I arrived at TJ Meenach Blvd I got a call from KHQ that they would like to join me on the road to do an interview about the walk. They were moved to report on the story by a call from Shaleen, who I met on Hwy 395 on the first day of the walk!

I met up with Ava Wainhouse, the reporter from KHQ Spokane and the cameraman (I am so sorry that right now I can't recall his name because he was very good!) on the outskirts of Spokane Falls Community College. There they did the interview and filming. I wasn't able to see the report on TV but I have received positive feedback from folks in the Spokane area that did see it. I want to express my gratitude to Noah Corrin, Ava Wainhouse and our dear Cameraman for helping the Jada Bascom Foundation to reach out to the 465,000 people who live in the greater Spokane area!  The news media plays an important role in helping us to tell folks about how to join NMDP and why it is important to join to save lives! Here's a link to the written article:  https://www.khq.com/news/deer-park-woman-walks-across-state-to-recruit-bone-marrow-donors-after-her-granddaughters-life/article_57d2443c-1329-11ef-8f31-87427e3e5a15.html

Following the interview I walked to Government Way which becomes Trails Road which is winding and very steep. My most challenging walk in the 4th Steps To-Marrow journey so far. I focused on one step at a time, rested when I needed to and change my hiking boots to prevent blisters. My progress was slow but successful! I felt great when I reached the flat ground just 2.9 miles from Spokane County Fire District 10 where I had been invited to spend the night.

I arrived At district 10 station later than I expected and feeling weary. There I was greeted very warmly by the crew. They had a room prepared for me with the bed made up including a pillow which is treat on the road as I don't carry one in my pack! I use some clothes rolled up to rest my head. After my shower and getting my clothes in the washer the crew took me to Chipotles for dinner. After visiting back at the station I went to bed and slept soundly knowing I was safe and warm for the evening.

I want to express my gratitude to the firefighters at District 4 Fire Station 49 for their generous care while I stayed at the station. In the morning I realized that I had forgotten important medication to include in my backpack items. The morning crew arranged to take me to Deer Park to pickup the meds. I texted my roommates ahead so they wouldn't worry when a fire truck pulled up in front of the house. It was so kind of them and lots of fun too. When we got back to station 49 they made delicious breakfast burritos so I would be properly nourished for the days walk ahead.

It was quite a relaxing walk. Just one foot in front of the other a little incline and a little decline until I entered North Spokane.

Then I had some significant inclines. With focus on each step I reached the top. I still had three miles to my destination at Spokane City Fire Department 2. Due to unfortunate changes they said they would not be able to provide me with accommodations for the night. I thanked them and moved on. I changed the route that I would take to Airway Heights in the morning and I called my daughter to see if she and her family would be my hosts for the evening. Of course, she said yes. I walked three additional miles toward Airway Heights and stopped for the evening.

My son, Nicholas, picked me up on Country Homes Blvd and drove me out to my daughter's home where I was able to soak my weary feet and get the dust off in a warm bath. My granddaughter, Jada, kindly put my clothes in the wash and my grandson, Brant, helped me to settle down in a comfy chair in the living room.

I am grateful the Bascom family for hosting me on this Steps To-Marrow journey. What a blessing. They made sure all of my needs were met.

I started the walk at 10:10 from the Deer Park Fire Station District 4 Station 41. Fire Marshal, Dave LaChapell, was there to see me off. He gave me a Fire District 4 patch to sew on my yellow walking vest. As I approached the end of town, in front of the McDonald's, stood Melissa, the GM, and Ryan, one of my coworkers, to say goodbye and good luck on my journey. I was pleased with the send off.

I was just out on highway 395 when I realized that my new pair of Keen Targhee IV's was not completely broken in. So I stopped to change out my hiking boots which is a process I had to do about every two miles throughout the day to prevent blisters.

After I got back on the highway and had walked about a mile a young couple stopped to ask if I would like a ride into Spokane. I thanked them and explained that I was walking every step from Deer Park to Seattle Children's Hospital and why. I shared info about how to join NMDP by texting Jada to 61474 and thanked them. This encounter was very encouraging for me; experiencing their caring and generous nature.

The day continued on with encounters with folks who wanted to help. Shaleen, a lovely young woman stopped to see why I was walking. We were a comical sight shouting across highway 395. The traffic finally cleared enough for me to cross over. She was very moved when she heard Jada's story and promised to share how to join the registry, NMDP, far and wide. She also said she would call the local news station, KHQ. Later in the day I met a gentleman pumping gas. When he found out what I was doing he reached into his pocket and handed me a donation for the Steps To-Marrow 4 walk. A dear friend found me walking down the highway very close to the end of the day. Charlotte said, " I hoped I would find you because I wanted to make a donation before you left. ♥️

At the end of the day's walk I arrived at Fire Station 49. I was greeted warmly by Tom and Jacob. While I showered and started my laundry they prepared a delicious pasta marinara and caesar salad for dinner. We were talking about how to join the registry when Jacob said, "I already joined and I was the best match for a patient.

Sorry but that's all I am going to say for now because Jacob kindly said that he would write a few paragraphs about his experience so I can post it in my blog

It was a beautiful and auspicious day for the start of the 4th Steps To-Marrow walk.

Dear Friends of the Jada Bascom Foundation,

For those of you who are new to the Jada Bascom Foundation my name is Jeana Moore. I founded the Jada Bascom Foundation to enroll potential stem cell and bone marrow donors to save the lives of patients in need of a transplant after my granddaughter, Jada, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, when she was only 7 months old. As you read my blogs you will learn a lot more about Jada and the important work of the Jada Bascom Foundation. Check out "Our Stories" at http://jadabascomfoundation.org/our-stories

I have been busy planning the STM 4 walk for months culminating in a long list of tasks to complete this week before I leave.  I have adopted the attitude that what gets done will be done and what remains to be completed I can do on my off time from the road.   Being Mother's Day my children came for a visit at the Blue House in Deer Park, WA. They brought me a beautiful bouquet of red roses and Persian Daisies. They also gave me the gift of sharing their skills and knowledge to help me in my preparations for the Steps To-Marrow 4 journey. I am blessed to feel at home in my relationships with my children and grandchildren.

Last night I set up my tent just to double check that it is  truly ready for the road. My roommate Peter sprayed it down to check for leaks. I am happy to say that the tent, sleeping bag, hiking boots, apparel, first aid kit, camelbak bladder and all the other gear is ready to go and packed in and on the Steps To-Marrow backpack.

Please watch for the blogs still to come with reflections and stories from the 4th Steps To-Marrow Walk.

Jeana Moore

enrolling potential stem cell and bone marrow donors saving lives

Steps To-Marrow 4: We invite you to follow Jeana Moore as she walks from Deer Park, WA, to Seattle Children's Hospital to raise money for our life-saving mission of enrolling potential donors. Our goal is to enroll one million donors in registries across the world using existing social media platforms! Follow Jeana's Journey @ Googlemaps or FindPenguins

Save Lives With Your Dollars: You can donate here to support the enrollment of one million donors using existing social media platforms with registries around the world.

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