December 30, 2024, was the day my life completely flipped. I received a call from my doctor after a routine blood test — they told me I had leukemia. In that moment, I thought I only had a few months, or if I was lucky, a few years left to live. I was distraught, lost, angry, and heartbroken. I couldn’t understand why this was happening to me. I was only 29.
After undergoing a bone marrow biopsy, I soon learned that it was chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). My doctor explained that this type of leukemia is manageable, and to give me some comfort, reminded me that it’s also one of the most researched forms of cancer.
From that point forward, I began taking TKI medication to manage the disease. It hasn’t been easy — adjusting my diet, fighting fatigue, dealing with nausea, changing habits, and coping with periods of mental fog. Yet through it all, I’ve found gratitude for this second chance at life that modern medicine has given me.
Now, as I reach the one-year mark of my diagnosis, it feels like I’ve already run a marathon. The constant cycle of doctor visits, weekly blood draws, anxiety over test results, and the daily struggle to manage my energy has been exhausting. There were moments when it felt like I kept getting kicked while I was already down.
But I made myself a promise: I will not let this diagnosis define me. I will fight it for as long as I can.
That’s why I decided to take up running — not just as exercise, but as a way to reclaim my strength and cope with my illness. Through running, I’ve shattered old beliefs about what I thought I could or couldn’t do. After a string of health setbacks, I never believed a marathon was possible for me. But after completing a 5K, 10K, and 15K, I realized that it absolutely is.
So I’ve made it my goal to run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in 2026 — not only as a personal milestone but as a testament to myself that I can overcome anything. And I hope my story can remind anyone facing hardship that they, too, can rise above their challenges — as long as they believe, fight, and keep moving forward.
Charles
chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)
