Authored by Justin and Katie Feldman
Our family, Justin (Team TCF20), Katie (Team TCF24), and Mary (Team TCF miracle mom) Feldman, was introduced to TargetCancer Foundation in the summer of 2019, when Justin decided to pick up running. Despite not knowing the exact number of miles in a marathon, or having run more than 5 miles at the time (might have left these details out of the application…), Justin set his sights on finding an organization to run the Boston Marathon with in 2020. Our father, Michael, passed away in 2007 after a 3-month battle with Glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer that impacts only 3 in 100,000 Americans each year. Glioblastoma, like other rare cancers, lacks any progressive treatments due to the very nature of it; it’s rare and therefore doesn’t receive the same research support as other more common cancers. TargetCancer Foundation, with its focus on funding and promoting research of rare cancers, was the perfect fit first for Justin, and then Katie, on our marathon philanthropic journeys.
Between our two marathons running with TCF, we raised a combined $22,000. This number is not a Boston Marathon medal, but an equivalent testament to how much TCF means to each of us, our family, and our friends. Our dad’s passing is not exactly recent, with Katie only six and Justin only ten years old at the time. Neither of us have mature memories with him or have many ties in our lives that tap directly into our childhood memories of him. However, our dedication to marathon training and fundraising through the lens of TCF’s mission brought us both much closer to him than we have felt in years. Not only have we felt closer to him through TCF, but closer with one another through these shared experiences that we will always have together. For that, we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to run with TCF and to share our story with all of you.
While TCF’s Boston Marathon team was our introduction to the organization, TCF’s outreach and events have allowed our family to stay engaged. Through our continued involvement with TCF, we aim to maintain a connection with our dad while supporting families battling rare cancer. We find a happy contradiction that despite TargetCancer Foundation’s altruism surrounding rare cancers, we have both attained great personal fulfillment during our experiences with TCF. The Feldman family cherishes our time supporting TCF so far and look forward to the growth of TCF and experiences to come!