Both my mom, Julie Scott, and my 3yr old cousin, Levi Williams, are fighting cancer.
Last October, my mother went to the hospital with a terrible stomach issue and wasn't sure what was wrong. She was advised it was something she may have eaten and to rethink her diet. For the next 3 months, she would go between Winchester Hospital and Beth Israel several times - losing nearly 25% of her body mass and missing Christmas for the first time during a two week hospital stay. She was scared, we were all scared, and neither the doctors nor any medical professional knew the cause. She eventually left Beth Israel with the direction to change her diet, but she continued to lose weight and wasn't getting better. After 3 weeks of this, she had enough and my parents decided to try a new hospital - showing up to the Emergency Room at Mass General. Within five hours, MGH determined an intestinal blockage was the cause of her stomach pain. During surgery to remove the blockage, the doctor found several white spots across her abdomen and took one for a biopsy. Our worst fears were realized when the diagnosis came back - adenocarcinoma, stage 4, grade 3 - fast growing cancer with no possibility of eliminating the disease from her body.
This July, a few months shy of my cousin Levi's 3rd birthday, Levi's parents Ryan and Emily noticed that Levi was walking with a limp. They took him to South Shore hospital and were told he may have pulled a muscle and sent them home. The following Monday, when Levi went to wake up for a nap, he started screaming for his mother - he couldn't move his leg and couldn't walk. Ryan and Emily rushed Levi to Children's and they, too, had their worst fears as a parent realized - Levi had an aggressive form of cancer called neuroblastoma. This cancer impacts children, usually under the age of 5. It can be curable, but it's very risky with a body so young and small.
As of the end of November, my mom, Julie, completed her 16th treatment of chemo, which she's been going through every other week since March. She's in great spirits as she became a first-time grandmother to our daughter Isabelle just one week after starting chemo. My cousin, Levi has completed several rounds of chemo and an over 12 hour surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York - Levi has to go back in December for yet another surgery.
Both of them are being treated at Dana Farber Cancer Institute as part of their fight against cancer.
If you've ever had someone you know and love fight cancer and be treated at Dana Farber, I don't have to tell you - they are nothing short of incredible at what they do. They call to check in with their patients, they're kind when you walk in the door, they're helpful, they understand what you're going through and they want to do everything possible to support you.
Running 26.2 miles or the money I personally raise will not cure cancer. Before my mom or cousin were ever diagnosed with cancer, other people took it upon themselves to support this cause so that when my loved ones were diagnosed they could get the care they needed. I'm running in the 129th Boston Marathon® and raising money in the names of Julie Scott and Levi Williams so that I can 'pass it forward' and help provide the means to support the next person that gets sick with this terrible disease.
I'm also going to be running in the names of your loved ones affected by cancer and wearing a custom shirt, hat, and socks with their names on it during the race. For a $100 contribution per name, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/ouTznQKZ35CRXSTE8
If $100 is too much or you have several names, please contribute what you can and put their names down anyway.
I'm trying to have 1,000 unique donors raising $100,000 and will be contributing a significant sum personally as well.
One hundred percent of every dollar raised by the DFMC team supports the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. These funds are fueling some of today's most promising basic cancer research.
Thank you so much for reading why I'm running and thank you to my mom, my cousin, and many other millions of people impacted by cancer for not giving up their fight.
With appreciation,
Neil
