This past February, I lost my beloved father, Stephen Herman, to advanced urothelial cancer. He was my greatest role model, and from him I learned the true meaning of resilience, determination, and compassion.
Since his passing, running has been a deeply therapeutic outlet for me. To honor his memory, I’ll be running the New York City Marathon as part of the Brave Like Gabe team- a tribute that feels especially fitting, as my dad was a proud New Yorker. Born in Brooklyn to Jewish immigrant parents, he attended NYC public schools and graduated from Stuyvesant High School. At age 16, he enrolled at Brooklyn College, but after a difficult battle with depression, he left school and worked for a time as a lab technician in a food processing plant. He joined the Army in 1962 and went on to attend West Point, an experience he cherished deeply.
My father served bravely in Vietnam, was wounded in combat, and later transitioned from Armor to the Medical Corps, ultimately becoming an internist. He served at Fort Stewart and then spent nearly four decades caring for patients in Savannah. A devoted and exemplary physician, my father lived Maimonides’ words: “The physician should not treat the disease but the patient who is suffering from it.” I strive every day to honor his legacy by caring for my patients with the same compassion, dedication, and integrity.
This marathon journey is my way of celebrating his life, his strength, and the values he passed on to me, my sister Nancy, and his five grandchildren. I can almost hear him saying, “Amy, you’re running another marathon?”—with his signature mix of disbelief and pride. I know he would be proud that I’m running for something bigger than myself: to support rare cancer research through the Brave Like Gabe Foundation, and to honor all those touched by cancer- with courage, hope, and heart.
This one’s for you, Daddy. I miss you and I will think of you each step of the way.
What is the mission of the Brave Like Gabe Foundation?
I am running the NYC Marathon with the Brave Like Gabe Foundation with the goal to support research on rare cancers.
I first learned about Gabe Grunewald from one of my dear patients, who shared her inspiring story with me.
Gabe had a diagnosis of Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, or ACC, which is a cancer of secretory glands. With an average of 1224 people diagnosed annually in the United States, ACC is considered a rare cancer. 1224 is a big or small number depending on your perspective, but of course each of those diagnoses represents a brave, hopeful life.
There is a critical lack of funding to understand the biology, and develop treatments, for rare cancers. As the private sector has largely overlooked these rare diseases the funding often comes from non-profits, like Brave Like Gabe and donors like you!
Your donation supports Brave Like Gabe and the advancement of critical research for rare cancers. Now more than ever, non-profit funding plays a vital role in driving this important work forward. My goal is to raise awareness for these rare diseases, the research funding disparities, and other challenges that prevent these cancers from having effective treatment options. Through Brave Like Gabe fundraising efforts, we will support research and accelerate treatments for those with rare cancer diagnoses.
“I remember feeling devastated when I realized how little research had been done on my cancer and the fact that there were not any FDA-approved treatments for my disease—I don’t want any patient to feel that way; that they’re alone in their fight or that the medical research community doesn’t care about their cancer.” - Gabe
