Elizabeth Sterling is inspired by the all-too-short life of her son. Now she wants to inspire others with the hope that one day another child with cancer will survive, thanks to her little boy.

“I have learned there are two kinds of hope – hope with a lower-case ‘h,’ which is when you hope that things turn out the way you want them to, and then there is Hope with a capital ‘H’ which is when you accept that no matter how things turn out something good can come out of it,” Elizabeth says. “I do not have a story of hope to share, but I do have a story of Hope that needs to be heard.”

Bennett Sterling was only four months old when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. His parents moved from Pennsylvania to Memphis, Tennessee so Bennett could be treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Many aspects of his treatment were part of a clinical trial. He died in November 2003 at the age of 18 months.

Throughout Bennett’s struggle with cancer, Elizabeth said she and her husband, John were confident that the doctors knew the latest therapies to treat it. And she believes Bennett’s participation in clinical trials will lead to treatments that are less toxic and more effective. Upon leaving the hospital, Elizabeth gave Bennett’s oncologist a big hug and told her, “I want you to find a cure so other kids’ lives are saved.” She believes her son’s experience will help make it happen.

“I know that because Bennett took part in a clinical trial that it will save some child’s life one day,” Elizabeth says.

Elizabeth has been a competitive cyclist for many years and she believes her training and dedication prepared her for Bennett’s battle with cancer. On New Year’s Day, she took part in a 26-mile ride up a mountain and took an icy plunge into a mountain lake to raise money for the Blue Butterfly Fund, an organization she and her husband formed in Bennett’s memory.

The fund helps families with children undergoing cancer treatment with traveling expenses and other expenses not covered by insurance. The Sterlings also offer spiritual and emotional support and education about pediatric cancer.

By riding in the Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope™, Elizabeth will honor Bennett’s memory. His struggle will motivate her on the hard climbs along the way.

“I want to do this for him. He means so much to me,” she says. “Children who die so young, they come here for a purpose and they pick their parents out because they really want to change their lives. Bennett has done that for me. I choose to be inspired by his life in everything I do.”