Marblehead Mom Running Boston Marathon to Raise Money for Tufts Medical Center

MARBLEHEAD, MA - A Marblehead mom is running the Boston Marathon this April to raise money for the medical center that helped her daughter in her time of greatest need.

Emily Bannister is raising money for the Tufts Medical Center in honor of her daughter, Ava.

“On September 4, 2013, my two-year-old baby Ava was diagnosed with leukemia. We brought her to visit her pediatrician because she had a small swollen lymph node behind her ear, but weren’t overly worried because she seemed fine otherwise,” Bannister wrote on her fundraising page. ”Her pediatrician sent blood to the lab just to be safe, and we got a call the next morning that we needed to pick Ava up and bring her to a specialist in Boston. It was her first day of preschool.”

Bannister said she and her family are grateful for the excellent care Ava and our family received and the treatment they received.

“Ava has been so brave and strong through treatment. She has handled surgeries, biopsies, spinal taps, MRIs, steroids, emergency room visits, long hospitalizations, and a brutal chemo regimen,” Bannister stated. “Somehow, she has smiled and grown through it all, thanks to her awesome spirit and her #1 cheerleader, little sister Abby who was 11 months old when Ava was diagnosed. They inspire me so much.”

Ava finished 26 months of treatment in November 2015 and is doing well. Bannister now hopes to run 26 miles to raise money and give back to the organization.

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