Meet Move For Jenn Supporters, Diana and Rush

Meet Diana Solomon and Rush Weigelt, two recent Move For Jenn donors. Diana, a sarcoma survivor, and her partner, Rush, have a love of beer and a love for giving back to causes that are important to them.

When the owners of Human Robot Brewery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania started planning their fourth annual LogJammin' Lager Festival, friends and supporters Diana and Rush asked if they could host a fundraiser in addition to the fundraiser Human Robot was already planning on running. "They welcomed us with open arms, enthusiasm, and support," said Diana.

As a part of the festival, Diana and Rush hosted a raffle that included a rare bottle share.

"Within this beer festival we have the privilege to run a more small scale fundraiser using our personal collection of beers to incentivize donations. My partner, Rush, and I love beer. Over the years we have had opportunities to purchase highly desired and rare bottles through memberships, travels, and friendships alike. We are known to share bottles whenever we host events at our home or even as we travel to breweries and new places we like to share the beauty of extraordinary beers with others."

Through their efforts, Diana and Rush raised $750 for the Move For Jenn Foundation! An additional $750 was donated to the Michael James Jackson Foundation, a non-profit with the mission of "funding technical education and career advancement for black, indigenous, and people of color in the brewing and distilling industries."

When we asked how they chose Move For Jenn as their raffle beneficiary, Diana said, "I personally was diagnosed with sarcoma in my leg two years ago, and while I did not need an amputation my surgery impacted my mobility in a way that a lot of people don't understand. I wanted our fundraiser this year to benefit sarcoma survivors to improve their mobility and facilitate their access to physical activity. Sarcoma is also dreadfully under researched, and the Move For Jenn Foundation also supports research and advocacy for sarcoma, which is important to us as well."

Diana was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma after noticing a pain in her leg during yoga. Diana practices Ashtanga yoga, which is different than the typical yoga one may be accustomed to.

"As you progress, more asanas are added to your sequence. .. The asana sequence each day is similar, but the experience is not the same. Each day you approach the day with a new mood or energy level, perhaps an injury, and the sequence in and of itself teaches you about yourself. This is how I found my sarcoma. I was practicing nearly every day working on my primary series practice, when one day, I was doing a pose I might have practiced hundreds of times before, and severe pain shot down my leg."

After eight weeks of PT, Diana was still in pain. Working in an ICU, she is well aware of how costly additional scans and doctor's visits could be and was worried she may be overreacting. However, Diana said, "my Ashtanga practice gave me something I will never let go: my self awareness and my power. Ashtanga was the root of my confidence that something was wrong, and it propelled me forward to figure out why. That CT scan led to several more specific images and eventually a biopsy and that landed me a diagnosis with synovial sarcoma. I am one of the lucky ones. I had one small tumor encapsulating my IT band. There was no involvement of any lymph nodes nor metastases. I was offered curative radiation and surgery, and I am hopeful that this is where my sarcoma story ends."

As sarcoma is often difficult to diagnose, we are thrilled that Diana was able to receive a diagnosis early and is doing well post surgery and radiation.

Thank you Diana, Rush, and Human Robot Brewery for supporting the Move For Jenn Foundation! We are wishing all of you all the best!

Would you like to raise funds for the Move For Jenn Foundation? Check out our volunteer guide here. Want to chat with someone on our team? Email info@moveforjenn.org.