Erica Bynarowicz is running for her father and her uncle

"Often we feel like there is nothing we can do to help the people we care about when they are faced with their illnesses."

Erica Bynarowicz is running the Boston Marathon for her father with small cell lung cancer, and uncle with stage four colon cancer. Erica Bynarowicz

By Madelaine Millar

February 25, 2020

1 minute to read

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. If you’re running the marathon, you can share your #WhyImRunningBoston story here.

Name: Erica Bynarowicz
Age: 26
From: Cambridge, Massachusetts

My name is Erica Bynarowicz, and on April 20, 2020, I will be running the 124th Boston Marathon for the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge. On December 5th, 2019 my father was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer that had spread to his liver. He began an aggressive form of chemotherapy on December 9th, and from there he receives three days of treatments every three weeks (just finished his fourth round of chemo!) If you know my father, you know his strength and optimistic charm. The day before he began chemo he said to me he was “ready for battle” which is why my family is going to fight #BOBSBATTLE. In January 2018, my uncle Richard, better known as uncle Scooter or Scoot was diagnosed with colon cancer. He has been receiving treatments at Dana-Farber for his stage four colon cancer, and in November 2019 he began two new regimens of chemo. My uncle Scooter is a fighter and he is greater than cancer, so #SCOOTOVERCANCER.

Cancer affects us all in one way or another, and often we feel like there is nothing we can do to help the people we care about when they are faced with their illnesses. I am running as a part of the DFMC to honor my father and uncle Scooter, our family, and the thousands of others struggling with cancer by lending my support.

Editor’s note: Entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.