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Health & Fitness

Our Story

Although we have been running for quite a while, our real journey began two weeks before the birth of our first child, Anderson, in August 2010. Damian was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Anderson was born on Thursday, August 12, 2010 and the new father began chemotherapy on Monday, August 16. It was a tough road being first time parents of a newborn and tackling cancer. Much of the first 6 months of Anderson’s life are a blur to Damian. Nevertheless, Damian responded to treatment well and has been in remission since February 2011. Through the encouragement of his oncologist, a longtime marathon runner and participant of Team-in- Training (TNT), Damian joined the 2012 Team in Training Boston Marathon Team. That April marathon was one of the hottest in history but he finished and we couldn’t have been prouder.

In January of 2013, we were blessed with the birth of our second child, Leighton Ann. Exactly one month later, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The same cancer Damian had. What are the chances of the same cancer striking within weeks of the birth of our children? My diagnosis brought along with it determination and strength and I never looked back. I set out on my 6 month cancer treatment journey with the incredible support of family, friends, co-workers, and medical professionals. As strange as it might seem, I can only describe 2013 as the most challenging yet positive year in my life.

At the time of my diagnosis, Damian was already training with TNT for the 2013 marathon but now he had more reason to run. Because of his fundraising efforts last year, he won 2 tickets to the VIP bleachers at the Boston Marathon finish line. His good friend and I were waiting for Damian at the finish line when the first bomb exploded directly across the street from where we were sitting. As we were trying to get off the grand stand, the second bomb exploded. We were lucky to escape unharmed. Simultaneously, Damian proceeded toward the finish line until he hit a wall of runners at mile 25.5. That is where the race ended for him and thousands of others. It wasn’t until later that we realized the magnitude of the explosions and the devastation they caused.

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I completed my last round of chemotherapy on July 29, 2013. I’ve officially been in remission since August 2013 (7 months). Despite the cancer diagnosis, we both know we are lucky. Lucky to have a cancer with a proven treatment, blessed to have two beautiful and healthy children, and enormously lucky to have escaped the events of April 15th physically unharmed.

So we’re running out of gratitude ... raising money to help others have the same outcomes as both Damian and I. Thanks to funding for blood cancer research from organizations such as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; our cancer has a tested and proven treatment protocol. Prior to 1980, the five-year survival rate for Hodgkin’s survivors was around 40%. Today, Hodgkin's is one of the most treatable forms of cancer, with a five-year survival rate of over 86% for adults. We are also running to honor those affected by last year’s marathon and to honor the running community in general.

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