Taylor Hamarich

In 2009 my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 thyroid cancer. She went to a phenomenal team of specialists at Beth Israel Hospital overseen by Dr. Mark Urken, MD, FACS. What originally was supposed to be a 3-hour surgery, turned into a 9-hour surgery. Dr. Urken and his team discovered that the cancer had invaded my mom’s larynx and trachea. This caused a more aggressive and intricate removal of one of her tracheal rings, along with damaging the nerves connected to her voice box. After a long and grueling recovery, my mom’s fight was not over. Dr. Saky, my mom’s endocrinologist, had then discovered that the cancer had spread to her lungs. She received radioactive iodine treatments, terminating all of the cancer cells. Thankfully, my mom has been cancer-free for 10 years and continues to exemplify to me what a true warrior is. 

In a situation where my mom felt so helpless, it helped her discover the inner strength she had that wasn’t present before. After beating her cancer, my mom was passionate to give back to the people who saved her life. THANC (Throat, Head, and Neck Cancer) Foundation was the perfect fit for her desire. THANC supports research and education in treatments of thyroid, head, and neck cancer to alleviate the stress of patients undergoing treatments.

To raise awareness for this amazing foundation, I will be running a 5k with my mom on April 23, 2021. Want to join me in supporting a good cause? Our race begins on April 23, and continues to Mother’s day! A donation page is also set up to support my goal of raising money for the THANC Foundation. Every little bit of money helps!