"Running in general is for me – it’s meditation, it’s therapy, it’s being able to unplug. I feel in control."

ALLAN SISON'S STORY

First and foremost, I am a father. When I’m gone someday, I hope what people remember most about me is that I was “Dad.”

Around 10 years ago, during what should have been a routine check-up, my daughter’s pediatrician found a lump on her neck. At the time, I was a practicing pediatric oncologist – and my mind immediately began racing through every possible scenario. I couldn’t stop thinking, what if it’s cancer?

As a doctor, I trained for years to prepare for these situations with my young patients. But nothing had prepared me for being in this situation with my own child, as a parent. I’d always wanted to be a doctor, and pediatrics drew me in because I loved connecting with kids and witnessing the unique dynamics within each family. In college, I took a class about the biology of cancer, and everything clicked – I knew that pediatric oncology was my calling. But after I had children of my own, the work took on a different tone. My greatest fear became seeing my own child face the very disease I was confronting with my young patients each day. And then my worst fear became reality.

That lump discovered on my daughter’s neck was indeed cancer. She was just nine years old when she underwent two surgeries and had her thyroid completely removed. It’s poignant, really – the symbol of this cancer is a butterfly, representing the shape of this small, but mighty organ. But the symbolism ran deeper for me. I saw that my daughter, along with my young patients, emerge from their diagnoses transformed – altered forever by their experience.

My daughter’s transformation came with added weight. I underestimated the mental and emotional toll that would ripple through our family; every check-up brought a new wave of fear. A tiny change on a scan would trigger my anxiety all over again.

I needed a way to cope. That’s when I turned to something I’d always loved: running.

I’ve been a runner for most of my life. I’m proud to be a Six Star Finisher, meaning I’ve completed all the World Marathon Majors races across the globe. Training for a race is both physically draining and mentally restorative. The long runs, though exhausting, give me space to process whatever’s on my mind – whether it’s stress from work, worries about my children, or just the noise of everyday life. 

Oftentimes, when I run an official marathon, I am raising money for a charity directly supporting research or families impacted by a pediatric cancer diagnosis. Not only has my running helped me move through my own fear, grief, and change – it has helped me celebrate hope, resilience and life.