I’m running the 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon in support of the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation (CBTF), and I invite you to join me by making a meaningful donation. When I was 13 years old, I went on a telethon for Baystate Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Miracle Network because my youngest brother was living with a tumor. I met my long-time best friend, who was living with a brain tumor. We were just kids then, and I am so thankful for her and proud of all she has been through! She had a successful surgery, and later down the line battled treatments while still in school full time. She is now a thriving nurse for the very same place that we met! I went on to become a clinical oncology pharmacist and work with patients affected by cancer. I am so incredibly grateful and humbled to have the chance to give back to such an incredible organization. For over 35 years, CBTF has grown from a small New York organization offering information and peer support into a national leader providing year-round programs for families facing a pediatric brain or spinal cord tumor—from diagnosis through treatment, survivorship, and bereavement.

As founders of the Children’s Brain Tumor Network, CBTF champions collaboration to drive research forward and address the often devastating long-term effects of treatment.