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Plano father helps cure lymphoma one step at a time: 9th annual Lymphomathon set for May 5
By Bill Conrad, bconrad@starlocalnews.com
Three years ago, Matt Runge had never heard of lymphoma.
The 36-year-old father of two was happily married and worked out daily, staying in the same shape he was in when he was a part of Plano Senior High's state champion soccer teams in 1991 and 1992. After noticing a lump in his throat and being dragged to a doctor's office by his wife, he heard the words people of all ages dread: you have cancer.
"I was diagnosed with Stage IV non-Hodgkin follicular lymphoma, with the lymphoma having spread to my bone marrow," Runge said. "I saw five doctors and got four different opinions before choosing a doctor at UT-Southwestern. What it came down to was, with me being so young for a lymphoma patient, we agreed to do the least aggressive treatment possible."
"I had never been on Facebook until I got cancer, "he said. "I decided to see if I knew anyone else who was going through what I was going through. There are some support groups on Facebook for people with lymphoma, and they recommended that I talk with someone from the Lymphoma Research Foundation. I went to an 'Ask the Doctor' meeting, which is where I met the doctor I am currently with."
Lymphoma is the most common blood cancer, with more than 70,000 new cases reported each year in the United States. The majority of the 500,000 Americans suffering from the disease have non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which can take on at least 61 different types according to the World Heath Organization. The complexity of the disease is one of the reasons the Lymphoma Research Foundation has awarded $47.5 million in grants geared toward finding a cure and eradicating the disease.
One of the foundation's primary fundraisers is the Lymphomathon, a non-competitive 5K walk held in 18 cities across the country. Participants and their teams raise funds, with the top teams raising more than $10,000 each year. The ninth annual Dallas/Fort Worth Lymphomathon begins at 10 a.m. on May 5 and will be held at Fair Park.
"To date, the Dallas/Fort Worth Lymphomathon has raised more than $670,000 to support the Lymphoma Research Foundation's mission of eradicating lymphoma and serving those touched by the disease," said Pat Riordan, who served as president of the DFW chapter for seven years prior to handing over the position to Runge this month. "Each year I am amazed by the support and generosity of the Dallas/Fort Worth community; it is very encouraging that with every Lymphomathon, we get one step closer to a cure for lymphoma."
Runge said his team raised $5,300 last year, and has a goal of raising $7,000 this year. He said while the focus of the event is on the walk, there are many things to do outside the 5K, including a silent auction and door prizes.
"It is kind of like a little festival to celebrate with survivors, caregivers and loved ones," Runge said. "Once the walk concludes at noon, you have people hanging around and having a good time for another hour and a half. It is also a great chance to network with people who were recently diagnosed. ... At last year's event, I was recently diagnosed and was able to talk to people about treatment and clinical trials. Until you get to the Lymphomathon, most people don't know too many people who have lymphoma. There are all sorts of resources out there for people and they are completely free."
For information on this year's event or to donate money to a team or individual, visit www.lymphomathon.org/dallas/ft.worth2012
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