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Breast cancer patient gives back by running the ASICS Falmouth Road Race
Natalie Daverio is running her first ASICS Falmouth Road Race with Dana-Farber’s team this August. She ran the race on her own in 2021, after getting into running to stay active throughout the pandemic. That race came with a bit more anxiety than usual for a first-time runner: A breast biopsy, prompted by a lump found during a self-exam, was scheduled for two days after the race. “Seven miles seemed like a long race, but I felt ready and excited to experience one of the most popular races in New England. I was also grateful for the distraction from the unknowns to come after my biopsy results came in,” Natalie shares. She was diagnosed with stage IIB invasive ductal carcinoma on August 23, 2021—just nine days after running Falmouth.
Natalie considers herself lucky that a friend and coworker’s own diagnosis prompted her to conduct a self-exam. “A breast cancer diagnosis at 29, with no family history or risk factors, was the last thing that I would have ever expected,” she says. “I am lucky that I found my lump relatively early. Self-exams are so important for all women, at any age!” Her treatment plan to date has included 12 weeks of chemotherapy, a lumpectomy, 33 radiation sessions, and 13 immunotherapy infusions since last August. Natalie is currently cancer free, but her care team has proactively added four additional immunotherapy infusions to decrease the chance of recurrence.
Natalie is thrilled to have the opportunity to run Falmouth for Dana-Farber, fundraising to make sure other patients have the same access to high-quality care and support as she did. “Every single person at Dana-Farber has been so kind and supportive,” Natalie says. “I am so thankful—thankful for access to a clinical trial with a less-harsh chemo regimen, for the support to try cold-capping so I didn’t have to lose all my hair, and for Dana-Farber’s team giving me the confidence to know that I am receiving the best care. I have the best doctors who continue to have my back and who are doing their best to make sure that I remain cancer free.”
Support runners like Natalie and make a donation to the ASICS Falmouth Road Race team today. Your donation will support The Dana-Farber Campaign, our ambitious, multi-year fundraising effort to prevent, treat, and defy cancer. The Dana-Farber Campaign will accelerate the Institute’s strategic priorities by supporting revolutionary science, extraordinary care, and exceptional expertise. As a community, we have the power to create a more hopeful, cancer-free future—in Boston and around the world. Together, we can defy cancer at every turn. Learn more about The Dana-Farber Campaign and how you can get involved at DefyCancer.org.
