The Boston Marathon marked my 33rd fundraiser for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), the 27th race with Team In Training (TNT), and the 6th Abbott World Marathon Major. With the support of amazing friends, teammates, and colleagues, I reached a lifelong goal—raising over $126,200 for LLS personally and over $1.6 million with the incredible teams I’ve been part of throughout the years, such as Team Child and Dynamite Runners.
Inspired by my best friend, Christy, who donated her bone marrow to save her sister's life, I joined LLS as an intern in 2017. Since then, I’ve grown through many roles and always found my work meaningful.
In 2018, inspired by my boss at the time, Stacey— a lymphoma survivor and marathoner— I ran and fundraised for my first race, the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon. Post-race, motivated by my new Team In Training friends, I signed up for the 2018 TCS NYC Marathon, kicking off my Abbott World Marathon Majors journey.
My Uncle Meng passed away in August 2021, just a month after a late-stage cancer diagnosis. When LLS helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, making medical costs more affordable, it was bittersweet—had it come sooner, he might have sought help earlier without fear of burdening his family with medical expenses or dealing with cultural health stigmas.
As we continue to fundraise and advocate, I’m hopeful that more patients will see better outcomes. I have three other uncles who are lymphoma survivors and many friends I’ve met throughout the years who have been impacted by cancer. On behalf of each of them, I’m thankful that LLS supports and explores care beyond the cure. Everyone deserves not just to survive but to thrive.
Shirley
Volunteer
