Every year on the 17th mile of the New York City Marathon, you'll find one of the most passionate groups of supporters shaking orange pom-poms in matching orange shirts. It's the cheering section for Fred's Team, representing Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), and they're rooting for more than just the runners. Fred's Team member Scarlett James knows the power of the group firsthand.
At only 6 years old, James received a diagnosis that would change her life forever. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 T-cell leukemia and lymphoma, a rare form of cancer that affects T-cells in the body. After years of treatment by MSK in Manhattan, James was declared cancer-free in 2019. Now, James and her family stay connected with the hospital that helped her and thousands of others recover from cancer.
The marathon has been very closely tied to my family. James said. I think something that is very well known is that the run goes past MSK, so when you're in-patient, you can watch the runners go by. Everyone is very excited for the day because there's a real big energy both outside and inside the hospital.
Although currently ineligible to compete in the marathon due to only being 17, James hopes to one day run herself. My family, my mom, my uncle, my cousins, so much of my close family has been running for years and years, James said. Every year, in the back of my mind, I always realize that soon enough, it's going to be my turn.
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