Member Story - Michael Byrne
Don’t beat cancer — outrun it
After a
10½-year battle with GIST, there is little Michael Byrne
can’t do
Michael Byrne finishes
his first-ever marathon as his family, filled with pride
and excitement, look on. Just right of Michael is his
son, Matthew, in the blue top.
Wife Mia can be seen in the background, in a neon green
jacket and holding a camera.
After more than 10 years
of fighting GIST, several round of ineffective chemo and
five surgeries, most folks would say Michael Byrne could
use a rest. Michael isn’t most folks. The Plymouth,
Michigan, man ran in his first-ever marathon Saturday,
March 27. At the finish line he was greeted by his wife,
Mia, son Matthew, and a cousin who presented him with a
Guinness Stout. But Michael only took a few swigs
(“Probably the first time he couldn’t finish one,” says
Mia) before limping toward his car, opening a medicine
bottle and gulping down four Gleevec pills. Michael
started running competitively a few years ago. In 2002
he did three triathlons, and liked it so much he did
five in 2003, including one international distance event
where he swam 1.5 kilometers, bicycled 40 km., and ran
10 km. But Sunday was his first crack at a full marathon
— 26.2 miles. Michael ran in the fourth annual Mizuno
Martian Marathon in Northville, Mich. Nearly 200 runners
did the full marathon, while several hundred more did a
half marathon or ran part of the course as training, as
the event is certified to qualify for the Boston
Marathon. Many of the runners collected donations to
fight cancer, with race proceeds benefiting the Leukemia
and Lymphoma Society. The 40-year-old Michael finished
in a very respectable 4 hours, 14 minutes, maintaining a
9:43-mile pace. He is now considering signing up for the
ING New York City Marathon in November. He’d be joining his
sister’s friend with the goal of raising raising money for the Life Raft Group.
There’s a smile of the face of Michael Byrne as he
rounds one of the final turns of the Mizuno Martian
Marathon in Northville, Michigan. Running with him for
the final stretch is his son, 8-year-old Matthew. The
GIST survivor and Life Raft Group member has made it
through five surgeries and several rounds of
chemotherapy during his decade-long fight with cancer.
Photos courtesy Mia Byrne
This article was reprinted from the March 2004 issue of the Life Raft Group newsletter.
