Melissa Lister is running Boston to honor her father
"I want to run...for those who are fighting each day to have a voice in the cancer battle."
In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon runners share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston.
Name: Melissa Lister
Age: 41
From: South Jordan, Utah
My father was an immigrant from Turkey who was the youngest of five children and began selling newspapers at the subway stations in Istanbul at six years old as a way to provide for his family. When he came to the United States in the early 1970s, and up until his retirement in 2010, my father continued to provide for his family by working two jobs as a waiter. He missed almost every Easter, Christmas, and Thanksgiving because of this strong work ethic and commitment to make sure our family had food on the table to celebrate these holidays.
In the summer of 2014, my father had complications breathing, but he remained silent. In December of 2014, my father was admitted to the hospital in an emergency for shortness of breath, only to discover that he has been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer on Christmas Day. Two months later, after a few weeks of radiation to address the cancer that had spread to his brain, my father passed away. Cancer, specifically secondhand smoke from the decades working as waiter, took away a man who I was extremely close to, who had worked seven days a week for over 50 years to provide for his family, and who was not able to articulate his pain or the fight he wanted to battle in order to survive. I want to run in honor of my father, and for those who are fighting each day to have a voice in the cancer battle.
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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