Western Springs Marathon Runner Inspired By Mom

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL – A Western Springs woman plans to run her 19th marathon Monday, inspired by the fighting spirit of her mother and grandmother.

Dr. Barbara Buttin, a gynecologic oncologist, is preparing for the 2022 Chicago Marathon.

In a news release, Buttin said she got into marathons as another way to fuel her aspirations and challenge the great expectations she places on herself as a mother, mentor and physician.

Buttin's career involves helping women with various gynecologic cancers.

Both her mother and grandmother died from cancer.

She lost her mother to metastatic breast cancer. She said that has shaped her approach to patient care.

"When you're a doctor who has seen the patient end of things, it gives you an extra level of empathy and an extra skill set you can use as a navigator and an advocate for your patients to help them get through a difficult time and difficult decision-making process," Buttin said.