PMC 2010 Passenger: Heidi Yehling

This is Heidi Yehling, the sister of a friend if ours, Judy Grande.  Here's what Judy would like everyone to know about her sister:

"Heidi had non-small cell lung cancer - diagnosed about 3 years before she died.  She went through an extensive round of chemo (but told her doctor that it had to be done by January because she had a trip to the Holy Land planned, and she wasn't about to let anything interfere with it!).   

Heidi went on that trip, then into remission --  taking still more trips to places like Egypt, Europe and Bali, before the cancer came back.   She was planning more chemo, but had to have abdominal surgery because of a blockage (caused by the cancer) and never did recover from that, so she couldn't go back on chemo.  She fought all the way, and I miss her every day."

I never met Heidi, but if she was anything like her sister, then she must've been some force to be reckoned with.
There's a quote that's been appropriated by many people over the years and I'm not sure who first said it, but it rings in my ears every time I talk (or email) to anyone who's dealing with or dealt with cancer:    "Adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it."    As someone so emblematic of that life-affirming character, it's an honor for me to carry Heidi along with me on this year's ride.