Exercise was something that connected David Fajgenbaum with his mother Anne Marie. She embodied the highest standards of physical activity.
A few months before his mother died of a brain tumor on Oct. 26, the two took daily trips to physical therapy, something she insisted upon.
Over the holidays, Fajgenbaum thought of only one way to help raise money for brain cancer research and to honor his mother. The 19-year-old Georgetown University sophomore hosted a "Bootcamp for Brain Cancer" program at Lake Lynn Park on Saturday. The event raised close to $7,000 for the National Brain Tumor Foundation.
"Our goal was to raise $1,000," he said Monday at the family's home off of Falls of the Neuse Road. "I was really amazed."
Saturday, about 50 middle and high school students and other supporters spent about two hours doing rigorous but fun workouts, ending with a two-mile run around the lake.
"This was something that was very important and it was an awesome event," said Fajgenbaum, a former Ravenscroft School football player and now a football player for Georgetown.
"There are so many people that have been affected," he said. "It was such perfect day. I'd like to think she was there. I wanted to run home and tell her about it."
Anne Marie Fajgenbaum was diagnosed in 2003, the summer before David's freshman year at Georgetown.
"I remember coming home almost every weekend," he said. "It's really tough when you are in school."
Fajgenbaum is working on starting a support group for students at Georgetown called Ailing Mothers and Fathers. He's also talking with school officials about starting the group at other campuses around the country.
About 29,000 people in the United Stated are diagnosed with primary brain tumors each year. Nearly 13,000 people die, according to the National Brain Tumor Foundation Web site. The average age of onset for primary brain tumors is 53, the Web site said. Fajgenbaum's mother died at age 53.
"This was an incredible woman, who brought a smile to everyone," Fajgenbaum said. "I don't think there is a single person that could say anything bad about her."
He said doctors have said that the tumor must have started growing around the time of his high school graduation.
"It was like she had gotten all her children to this point," said Fajgenbaum, who has two older sisters. His father is a surgeon at Rex Hospital.
In high school, he and his mom participated in the "Angels Among Us 5K Family Fun Walk" at Duke University. Six weeks later his mom was at the hospital having surgery.
"She didn't even know. That's very tough to swallow," he said. "But she never asked why."
Fajgenbaum had a lot to do before going back to school Tuesday. He had a to-do list for people he needed to talk to before leaving written on his hand.
But, sitting in the family room Monday, he took time to talk about his mother. He said he's trying to raise awareness because he knows it's something his mom would want him to do.
A few days before his mom died, he said she whispered the words "unconditional love" to him.
"It was just perfect. She had this love for everyone and it was contagious."
Staff writer Kinea White can be reached at 836-4952 or kwhite@newsobserver.com.
The article can also be accessed on the News and Observer's website at http://www.newsobserver.com/print/friday/nrn/story/2022812p-8407303c.html
