I am excited to run the NYC Marathon with Fred’s Team because a) I can, my cancer has been in remission for six years! and b) I can use my efforts to raise money for cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering. When you donate to MSK through this page, your money goes straight to them. Your support directly helps develop treatments for people who need them most.

Clinical Research Saved My Life

One of the best parts of running for Fred’s Team is choosing where your donation goes. I earmark my dollars for Clinical Trials—the newest, cutting-edge treatments that aren't yet approved, but can lead to medical breakthroughs. A trial saved my life. After two years of unsuccessful treatments, my follicular lymphoma was finally stopped by CAR-T therapy, which at the time was only FDA-approved for leukemia. Joining a trial was a risk, but it was my last option.

CAR-T is amazing. Doctors removed some of my T-cells (a type of white blood cell), and reprogrammed them in a lab to attack my malignant B-cells (a different type of white blood cell). From removal to infusion is about a week, but because they need to blast your immune system down to zero, the whole process takes several weeks. Regardless, my treatment was a success. The new cells wiped out all of my bad ones in about 30 days. My first scan after a month showed CR, which stands for complete response, something no scan had shown in two years of treatments.

No one promised I’d be here six years later. Doctors even warned me not to be surprised if the cancer returned within six months. For years, I lived expecting its return. Now my doctors talk about patients like me who are still in remission. It is truly a new frontier. We watch and wait but with an awkward optimism, which is an outcome researchers are still learning from. CAR-T is now FDA-approved for follicular lymphoma, and I’m proud to have played a small part in proving its power.

Running Changed My Life

It sounds so cliche to say. I know running has helped a lot of people. But running continues to fuel me physically and emotionally. II started running during The Cs, as I refer to first cancer and then Covid. With a weak immune system during earlier treatments, going to the gym was impossible, so I started walking. I saw others running past me and felt competitive. I first ran a block, which was all I could manage. Then two blocks until I reached Prospect Park. Slowly, I worked up to running around the park and home again. I even ran my first 5K in between treatments.

When things worsened, running was put on hold. After my CAR-T, I had to go to the hospital every single day for a month. I started walking home each day. Mentally and physically, it felt so good to move. I quickly worked my way back to jogging and then running.

Fascinating side note: running is so popular among my oncology nurses! In Cleveland, my longtime nurse was a runner. We went on to run the Cleveland Half-Marathon together twice. And at MSK, my nurse has run the NYC Marathon twice with Fred’s Team. In fact, she is the one who encouraged me to apply. 

Donate Today

Fred’s Team is named after Fred Lebow, an MSK patient who co-founded the NYC Marathon in 1970. Since 1995, Fred’s Team has raised over $130 million for cancer research—with 100% of funds going directly into MSK labs working on 400+ types of cancer.
Having experienced MSK's care firsthand, I know how vital this research is for patients and families. Every donation—no matter the size—makes a direct impact.

Thank you so much for your support!