Boston Marathon
“Every mile I run will be in gratitude to my doctors, to the AYA program, to my survivorship friends, and to every patient who sits in a hospital room feeling scared and alone.”
April 4, 2026 | 3:00 PM
2 minutes to read
In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon athletes share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. Looking for more race day content? Sign up for Boston.com’s pop-up Boston Marathon newsletter.
Name: Grace Taylor
Age: 22
City: Dedham
I will never forget the moment my doctor rolled his chair back, looked at me and my mom, and told us that I had a rare and aggressive form of thyroid cancer. It had been growing unchecked for years and had already spread across my lymph nodes, around my windpipe, pressed against the base of my skull, and wrapped around my vocal cords. It was my first day of sophomore year at college. I had just turned nineteen. At that moment, I thought life as I knew it was over.
But, my extraordinary team of doctors at Mass General Hospital, including Dr. Stephen, Dr. Barbesino, and Dr. Abrams rose to the challenge. They built a treatment plan that was as specialized as it was courageous, including the radioactive iodine therapy that Mass General pioneered. They attacked my cancer with confidence and brilliance, and in doing so, they inspired me to believe that my life could continue, different but no less meaningful. Thanks to them, I not only survived, but I graduated from Harvard on time and was able to continue playing on the lacrosse team.
But navigating cancer as a young adult, especially while in college, was overwhelming and isolating. Joining Dr. Zeba Ahmad’s survivorship class was life-changing; it was the first time I felt truly seen by others my age who understood what I was going through. All of our classes and materials were offered at no cost, supported by fundraising.
Running the Boston Marathon for Mass General will be the honor of my life. Every mile I run will be in gratitude to my doctors, to the AYA program, to my survivorship friends, and to every patient who sits in a hospital room feeling scared and alone. I know how much this mission matters because I was one of those patients.
And now, because of MGH, I have the chance to run!
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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Kelly Chan
Kelly Chan is a content producer at Boston.com. She designs multimedia content on site and across social media platforms, and experiments with new ways to engage readers.
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