Why I’m Running: Jason Homorody is running Boston to honor his wife’s ‘fighting spirit’
"When my wife was diagnosed, she said a line that perfectly describes her fighting spirit, 'I have cancer but it doesn’t have me.'"
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 on April 16, 2018. Are you running Boston? Here’s how to share your story on Boston.com.Name:
Jason Homorody
Age: 44
From: Lewis Center, Ohio
Bib #: 4470
In June 2017 following a routine mammogram, my beautiful wife discovered that she had stage 2 breast cancer. That news turned our world upside down. One of the hardest things we had to do was tell our two daughters Casey and Bella (15 and 13) that their mother had cancer. Once we got over the news, our family prepared for the fight of our lives.
Fast forward to September of last year, I missed out on qualifying for Boston by 18 seconds. I was disappointed because I wanted to dedicate my run to my wife, and with the way her surgeries, chemo, and radiation were scheduled, I thought Boston could be a “victory over cancer” trip for our entire family.
After posting a message on Facebook about how I didn’t make the cut, many friends suggested I run for a charity. I thought, if there was ever a time to run for a charity, this would be it. But I didn’t know if I wanted the financial stress of fundraising along with helping support my wife in her battle with cancer.
The next day, a running friend offered me a $5,000 donation so that I could run the race and not have to stress about the fundraising. So far, I have raised $12,300, and my goal is to raise $15,000. As a spouse of someone fighting cancer, you can sometimes feel very helpless to do anything. Being able to fundraise for cancer research has given me a sense of purpose that I can be a small part of finding a cure for such a terrible disease. When my wife was diagnosed, she said a line that perfectly describes her fighting spirit, “I have cancer but it doesn’t have me.” I am running Boston to honor her fighting spirit!
Check out our entire “Why I’m Running” series.
___
Editor’s note: Entries may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
