Lily’s Run For a Cause
Lily overcame a very rare childhood cancer at the age of 5. She had 11 years to be an awesome, active kid - skiing, biking, running, etc. Unfortunately, Lily’s cancer returned in 2018. For the last 16 months, Lily has endured more than anyone could imagine, with chemo, radiation, and multiple surgeries to remove tumors in her chest cavity and her brain. The cancer eventually spread to the lining of her brain and spinal cord (leptomeningeal cancer), which is considered terminal. Stanford was out of treatment options, but Sloan Kettering took on Lily’s case on a compassionate care basis. She was treated with a new drug (just finished trials, not yet FDA-approved), and after two rounds of treatment, her scans are clear! She will have a third round upon FDA approval. Finally, there is reason for cautious optimism.
Lily has missed her entire junior year, and her senior year (to date). She is watching while her very dear friends apply to college and figure out their next major life step. Her resilience, determination, and fortitude are truly amazing. Assuming her health allows, this brilliant girl will definitely continue her education, but likely not at the caliber of institution for which she would have qualified under better circumstances. She accepts this as yet another challenge to be overcome.
Despite all that Lily has experienced and endured, she wants to give back by raising awareness and money for Tyler’s Grace Foundation.
Thanks to all your generous donations, Tyler’s Grace was able to gift Lily a truly memorable 18th birthday celebration in December. We are beyond touched that Lily has chosen to ‘pay it forward’ with us.
Lily has created her fundraiser around the Oakland Running Festival, on March 22, 2020. She ran the 5K for years, and completed her first half marathon at ORF in 2016 at the age of 14. Now, her goal is to complete the 5K, at whatever pace she can manage.
Please Join Us
You can participate in several ways:
1. Sign up and Race with us!
If you are already registered for the race, please join our race email list so we can keep you up to date. If you are not yet registered, enter your email address to access a discount code. Then, check your email!